Melville, NY, June 23, 2009 – Four journals in applied physics published by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) produced more than a quarter of the total articles in the field in 2008, and garnered nearly half of all the cited references in the category even though they constitute only 4% of the titles indexed in this category by Thomson Reuters. These impressive numbers are among the figures released last week by Thomson Reuters in the 2008 Journal Citation Reports, Science Edition (JCR).
Two AIP journals – Applied Physics Letters (APL) and Journal of Applied Physics (JAP) – were once again ranked as the first and second most highly cited journals in their category. Since the first issue of JAP in 1931, these publications have covered important breakthroughs in applications of physics to all branches of science, engineering, and technology. In 2008, Applied Physics Letters , the #1 most highly cited of the 95 journals Thomson Reuters tracked in applied physics, recorded 179,925 citations and Journal of Applied Physics tallied 113,773 citations. A third AIP journal, Review of Scientific Instruments, moved into the “Top 5” most-cited titles in applied physics in 2008. As a result, AIP accounts for 28% of the applied physics articles indexed by Thomson Reuters, and 44% of the total citations.
“In the last 10 years, AIP journal content has grown by more than 60%, thanks in no small part to Applied Physics Letters and Journal of Applied Physics,” said John Haynes, AIP’s Vice President, Publishing. “The publications rank as the second and third largest science journals in the world – as indexed by Thomson Reuters – producing an impressive combined total of more than 9,500 articles in 2008. These rankings are perhaps even more impressive when you consider that more than 6,500 journals are indexed in Journal Citation Reports.” Haynes concluded, “I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our authors, editors and referees and thank them for their contribution in making AIP journals the world-class titles they are.”
AIP is also pleased to announce the results of JCR rankings for a number of its other highly respected journals:
- The Journal of Chemical Physics was the most highly cited of the 31 journals in the Atomic, Molecular, and Chemical Physics category, nearly equaling the total number of citations to the next three journals combined. Out of all 314 physics journals in JCR, The Journal of Chemical Physicswas the fourth most highly cited, with a total of more than 164,000 citations.
- Review of Scientific Instrumentsis now the most highly cited of the 56 journals in the Instruments & Instrumentation category.
- Physics of Plasmaswas the most highly cited journal dedicated entirely to plasma physics.
- Physics of Fluidswas the second most highly cited of the 112 journals in the Mechanics category.
- Biomicrofluidics, a new electronic-only journal that launched in 2007, debuted as the ninth-ranked journal in the Physics, Fluids and Plasmas category, and recorded an impressive first Impact Factor of 2.318 overall.
“It’s clear from the new citation figures that a large number of researchers across a broad range of disciplines are building upon the work published by AIP journal authors,” said Mark Cassar, AIP’s Publisher of Journals & Technical Publications. “Our high citation rankings come as no surprise, as AIP journals count many of the top researchers in their respective fields as editors, editorial board members, and in particular, as authors and referees. As a result, we fully expect AIP journals to maintain the leading position as vital sources of information for applied physics researchers around the world.”