During times of medical crisis, reputable general medical journals are needed more than ever
As a society, we are obsessed with rankings. If you play sport or are a keen fan, you’ll likely know who is number one, whether it be a tennis player or golfer, or a football team. If you are an academic, you probably know the leading universities by their approximate rankings, and where your own institution stands. Mind you, this varies markedly between ranking systems! And if you are a researcher, you know the best ranked journals in your field, as this influences where you submit your best work, what you read most carefully, and how you shape the track record sections of your grant applications. Clinicians also pay attention to the most highly regarded journals in their field to shape their practice.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- 1. Callaway, E. Beat it, impact factor! Publishing elite turns against controversial metric. Nature 2016; 535: 210‐211.
- 2. Saginur M, Fergusson D, Zhang T, et al. Journal impact factor, trial effect size, and methodological quality appear scantly related: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Syst Rev 2020; 9: 53.
- 3. Waltman L, Traag VA. Use of the journal impact factor for assessing individual articles: Statistically flawed or not? [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]. F1000Research 2021; 9: 366.
- 4. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Sustainable development goals. Updated July 2022. https://sdgs.un.org (viewed July 2022).
- 5. Talley NJ. Welcome to 2022: The Year of the Tiger! Med J Aust 2022; 216: 20‐23. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2022/216/1/welcome‐2022‐year‐tiger
- 6. Wiley. Open access agreement for authors at eligible Australia and New Zealand institutions. https://authorservices.wiley.com/author‐resources/Journal‐Authors/open‐access/affiliation‐policies‐payments/caul‐agreement.html (viewed July 2022).
- 7. Schmid SL. Five years post‐DORA: promoting best practices for research assessment. Mol Biol Cell 2017; 28: 2941‐2944.
- 8. Jackson CL. Living with COVID‐19 in 2022: the impact of the pandemic on Australian general practice. Med J Aust 2022; 216: 442‐444. https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2022/216/9/living‐covid‐19‐2022‐impact‐pandemic‐australian‐general‐practice
- 9. Guarner J, del Rio C, Malani PN. Monkeypox in 2022: what clinicians need to know. JAMA 2022; 328: 139‐140.
A complete list of disclosures is available at https://www.mja.com.au/journal/staff/editor‐chief‐professor‐nick‐talley