UTSA Libraries can help with locating and interpreting impact factor and other related metrics as well as finding ways to increase the impact of your publications. See the Research Impact Guide for detailed information and guidance or contact your subject librarian with questions.
What is Research Impact?
Research impact describes the effect research has in areas beyond academia, including benefits to and influences on society, culture, the environment, and the economy. Impact is used to demonstrate scholarly productivity and is generally measured in terms of how many times a publication, author, or article is cited by other researchers in peer-reviewed publications.
Researchers may be familiar with traditional metrics such as journal impact factor or number of cited references. However, additional impact metrics have recently emerged not just at the journal level, but also for specific authors and articles.
Why is Research Impact Important?
Understanding research impact can help with:
- Justification for tenure and promotion
- Obtaining government funding and grants
- Learning how previous research is being utilized
- Finding out who is using previous research
- Identifying other researchers and potential collaborators in the field
- Decisions about where to publish to achieve the best exposure