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Your research is making a difference – that’s why maximizing its impact is important to us
We’re the 3rd most-cited publisher
In 2022 Frontiers was the third most-cited publisher among the 20 largest publishers with an average of 5 citations per article.
Frontiers was also the most cited among multi-disciplinary publishers.
Data source: analysis of the world's 20 largest publishers by volume, ranked by average number of citations in 2022, received by articles published in 2019, 2020 and 2021 (Dimensions, 2023).
We’re the 6th largest publisher
Frontiers was the sixth largest publisher by number of published articles up to and including 2022.
Data source: Dimensions 2022
Maintaining scientific excellence at scale
We have maintained high quality while growing in terms of the quantity of articles we publish. The graphs below show Frontiers’ ranking by volume of articles published (left) and ranking for average citations (right). Since 2018 we have remained consistently in the top five most-cited publishers while increasing in article numbers.
Data source: Dimensions 2022. Publishers ranked by total articles published and by number of average citations generated to articles published in a three-year window.
397,928 total articles openly accessible
More researchers than ever before chose us as their trusted publisher of choice. In 2022 we published more than 125,000 new articles, an increase of 47% compared to 85,000 in the previous year.
Every article is freely and permanently available immediately after publication, ensuring maximum readership and visibility.
Articles published (per year)
Data source: Frontiers, total published articles
(articles published in 2010 and 2011, and since 2022 are not depicted in the graph)
Highly visible, highly cited research
The research we publish is viewed, shared, and cited more than ever before, demonstrating the power of open access.
In 2022 Frontiers’ articles were viewed and downloaded 646 million times across the world, totaling
2.1 billion views and downloads overall.
Article views and downloads (per year)
Data source: Frontiers 2022
Total global citations and views & downloads for Frontiers’ articles
There is an innovator in every corner of the globe: our articles were cited by researchers all over the world in the past year, now totaling 6.4 million - an increase of 16% from the previous year.
Data source: Dimensions, 2023.
Journal impact
We have a home for your research in one of our impactful open access journals
Influential journals, defining their fields
Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore
Following the 2023 release of the Web of Science Group's Journal Citation Report (JCR 2022) and Scopus' CiteScore, 72 of the journals published by Frontiers have a Journal Impact Factor and 79 journals have a CiteScore.
18 of Frontiers’ journals are in the top 25% in at least one category.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience increased its Journal Impact Factor by 9%, to 3.5.
Frontiers in Nanotechnology increased its CiteScore from 1.1 in 2021 to 3.5 in 2022.
The Journal Impact Factor is the average number of citations received in the last year to articles published in the previous two years. It is measured each year by the Web of Science Group and reported in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). The 2022 Journal Impact Factors, published in the 2023 Journal Citation Report, are based on citations in 2022 for articles published in 2020 and 2021.
The CiteScore journal impact metric measures the average citations received in a four-year time window to selected documents published in the same four years. The 2022 CiteScores are based on citations received in 2019-2022 for articles, reviews, conference papers, book chapters, and data papers published 2019-2022, and divides this by the number of these documents published in 2018-2021. CiteScore covers all journal titles in Elsevier's Scopus database and is released once a year.
Journal Impact Factor percentiles
2022 Journal Impact Factors are based on citations in 2022 for articles published in 2020 and 2021. This graph shows the percentile rank of Frontiers’ journals (blue dots) in their respective JCR category.
Total journal citations
Many of our journals rank among the most influential in their fields, including the most cited in neurosciences, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, genetics, developmental biology, psychology, and plant sciences.
Ranking of the top 10 most-cited journals in JCR categories (released in 2023 by Web of Science Group). The bars show the total number of citations received in 2022 for articles published in 2020 and 2021. Frontiers’ journals are highlighted in blue.
*Neurosciences (SCIE) category: The ranking is calculated from 2021 Journal Impact Factor citations to all journals in the Frontiers in Neuroscience journal series. The Frontiers in Neuroscience journal series includes all Frontiers journals in the Neurosciences (SCIE) category except for Frontiers in Neurology.
CiteScore
Ranking of the top 10 most-cited journals in 2022 CiteScore categories (released in 2023 by Scopus, Elsevier). The bars show the total number of citations received in 2019–2022 for articles, reviews, conference papers, book chapters and data papers published in 2019–2022. Frontiers’ journals are highlighted in blue.
*Neuroscience subject area: The ranking is calculated from 2021 CiteScore citations to all journals in the Frontiers in Neuroscience journal series. The Frontiers in Neuroscience journal series includes all Frontiers journals in the field of Neuroscience except for Frontiers in Neurology.
How we measure performance
We benchmark the quality, impact, and influence of our journals using a range of metrics and performance indicators. As a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), we support the responsible use of journal Impact Factors, other quantitative research metrics, and innovative ways of evaluation.
As well as Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore, we monitor overall citation rate, aggregate views, and downloads, as well as press and social media mentions.
Media
Frontiers’ articles achieved international visibility last year
In the news
Frontiers’ articles were featured more than 29,000 times by international news outlets in 2022 including The Washington Post, The Guardian and BBC World News.
2022 news and feature highlights
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Replay of life before death
The Guardian | 23 Feb 2022
Imagine reliving your entire life in the space of seconds. A study published to Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience suggested that your brain may remain active and coordinated during and even after the transition to death, and be programmed to orchestrate the whole ordeal.
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Polluting WWII shipwreck
The Washington Post | 29 Oct 2022
Researchers discovered that an 80 year old historic World War II shipwreck is still influencing the microbiology and geochemistry of the ocean floor where it rests. In Frontiers in Marine Science, they showed how the wreck is leaking hazardous pollutants, influencing the marine microbiology around it.
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Happy monkey, happy gut
Bloomberg | 11 Nov 2022
Friendly monkeys have higher levels of helpful bacteria and lower levels of potentially disease-causing microbes in their guts, according to a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology. Monkeys engaging in friendly social interactions with peers are more likely to have an abundance of gut bacteria known to benefit the immune system.
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Vegetables and cardiovascular disease
BBC | 21 Feb 2022
A sufficient intake of vegetables is important for maintaining a balanced diet and avoiding a wide range of diseases. But might a diet rich in vegetables also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease? Unfortunately not, according to a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition.
On social media
In 2022, Frontiers’ articles were mentioned more than 363,000 times across all social media channels – an increase of 65% over the previous year.
2021 social media highlights
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Bedtime behavior for parents
Twitter | 784 interactions
Researchers studied parental methods to help toddlers sleep across 14 cultures and the effect on the child's temperament.
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Shipwreck forms sea-life habitat
Facebook | 638 interactions
Historic wooden shipwrecks alter seafloor microbial communities and provide a potential new habitat for marine life.
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Primates' virtuoso singing duets
Twitter | 1,023 interactions
The notes within duets between female and male Gursky’s spectral tarsiers are taxing for the singers, presumably due to physiological constraints.
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Diversity in digital health
Facebook | 621 interactions
As part of our women in science series, Professor Wendy Chapman discusses motivates her to continue pushing for the digital transformation of healthcare.