The journal impact factor measures how frequently articles in a scientific journal are cited, reflecting its influence within a specific field. For researchers and those interested in scientific publishing, understanding this metric, particularly for journals like Cancers (Basel), is relevant for assessing a publication’s standing and the significance of its research in oncology.
What is a Journal Impact Factor?
A Journal Impact Factor (JIF) quantifies how often an average article in a journal has been cited in a particular year. Clarivate Analytics calculates and publishes these figures annually in its Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The JIF offers a standardized way to compare journals within similar disciplines.
The calculation involves dividing the number of citations received in a specific year by articles published in that journal during the preceding two years. For instance, the 2021 JIF considered citations in 2021 to citable items published in 2019 and 2020.
Introducing Cancers (Basel)
Cancers (Basel) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to all fields of oncology. Published by MDPI, it makes research freely available, with article processing charges typically covered by authors or their institutions. Its scope encompasses a broad range of cancer research, including basic, translational, and clinical studies across various tumor types.
A distinctive feature is its willingness to publish studies presenting meaningful negative results, which often remain unpublished in other journals. This approach encourages scientists to share all their data, preventing redundant experiments. The journal is indexed in prominent databases, including Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science), and PubMed.
The Impact Factor for Cancers (Basel)
In the latest Journal Citation Reports (June 2025), the impact factor for Cancers (Basel) was 4.4. This figure represents a decrease from its reported impact factor of 5.2 in 2022 and 4.5 in 2023.
Despite these changes, an impact factor in this range generally positions Cancers (Basel) as a respected publication within the oncology field. It indicates that articles published in the journal are frequently cited by other researchers, reflecting its influence and the engagement of the scientific community with its content. Cancers (Basel) is typically in the Q1 or Q2 quartile for oncology, signifying its standing among the top journals in the field.
Context and Considerations for Impact Factors
While journal impact factors offer a quantitative measure of citation frequency, they have limitations and should not be the sole determinant of a journal’s or an individual article’s quality. Field-specific bias is a concern, as citation patterns vary greatly across disciplines, often leading to higher impact factors in fields like medicine compared to humanities. The two-year citation window used for JIF calculation may also not fully capture the long-term influence of research, especially for studies that gain recognition over extended periods.
The JIF is a journal-level metric and does not reflect the quality or citation count of every individual article within that journal. A journal with a high impact factor might still publish less-cited articles, and conversely, valuable research can appear in journals with lower impact factors. Other factors, such as the quality of peer review, the reputation of the editorial board, and the relevance of the content to the specific research community, should also be considered when evaluating a journal.