here is some exciting news to share about Simulation in Healthcare as we close out 2022 and begin a new year. First, the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) reached new heights this year and second, our digital reach is increasing.

THE 2021 JOURNAL IMPACT FACTOR

The JIF provides an index of citations of articles recently published in other journals within the Clarivate™ Web of Science Database. Our new JIF increased from 1.93 to 2.69 and our 5-year JIF increased from 3.28 to 3.52. These are the highest JIF numbers in the Journal’s history. These numbers underscore the critical role that simulation continues to play within healthcare education, training, and practice.

As I indicated last year, Clarivate™ changed the way they calculate the JIF.1,2 Specifically, they changed how they count Published Ahead of Print (PAP) and Early Access articles. The JIF is a ratio of the number of articles in the journal cited by other articles divided by the number of “citable” articles published in the previous two years. Up until 2020, Early Access/PAP articles were not counted in the JIF calculations. That is, early access articles were not included in the numerator unless the final published version was in the current year, or the final version was available for to be counted in the denominator.

Last year was a transitional year. The numerator included non-Early Access items with a final publication year of 2020, Early Access items in 2020 (not yet in an issue), and Early Access items with a final publication year of 2020. The denominator was based on citable items from 2018 and 2019. So, many journals had elevated JIFs last year due to more citable items caused by the pandemic-related increase in output. That includes our Journal since we published additional online-only content. This resulted in more citations and an increased numerator, but with a denominator that remained at previous levels.

This year, however, the numerator now includes citations from non-Early Access items and Early Access items with an early access date falling within the JIF year. The denominator now includes traditional non-Early Access items with a final publication date for the prior two years as well as Early Access items with an early access publication date in the two years prior to the JIF year.

Most journals anticipated lower JIFs this year due to declining numerators from publishing output returning to pre-pandemic levels coupled with increased denominators from the pandemic output boom. Thus, we were pleasantly surprised at how well our Journal faired. In a year where many journals saw a decline in their JIF, ours increased. This is very good news and validates that we are publishing the kind of scholarly content that others wish to cite. Now, having said this, we published a second expanded issue with online-only content in February of this year. So, it is possible that we may ultimately see a decline like other journals experienced in next year’s JIF or in the following year. However, I want to highlight this measure of what we have achieved while I can and congratulate our associate editors, members of the editorial board, our dedicated reviewers, and the authors who continue publish their most important work in our pages on this accomplishment.

DIGITAL REACH

A subscription to Simulation in Healthcare is a benefit of membership in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. However, our readership extends far beyond the bounds of the Society. In 2021, membership and online-only subscriptions reached 5,423. That number, however, accounts for just a small fraction of the ways readers access the Journal. Our publisher, Wolters Kluwer, tracks access to the Journal via visits to the website or through Ovid databases and our digital reach has grown steadily over the years. Last year, we had over 106,714 web site visitors, 229,499 web site page views, and 74,254 Ovid article views. More than 300,000 people viewed our content which represents a 40% increase in just three years.

We recognize that most of the interest in the journal is mediated through the internet, but there are other means for stimulating interest in our content. This year, we added a social media editor, Jen Arnold, to extend our reach, create awareness of important articles, and provide alternative ways for authors to engage with the public. Our initial efforts were focused on the Ketterer and Austin article, An Ethical Framework for Conducting Active-Shooter Simulation in the Healthcare Environment3 which we highlighted during Healthcare Simulation week. We continue the dialogue surrounding gun violence and mass casualty shootings, and the impact on healthcare training, with a Letter to the Editor by Cicero and Scherzer4 in acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. I encourage you to join us in our social media efforts to increase the awareness of these articles and the need to consider how best to prepare healthcare workers for these increasingly common tragedies. Please engage in the conversation on LinkedIN (https://www.linkedin.com/company/simulation-in-healthcare-journal/). Don’t forget to like, reshare, and comment on content as this helps us promote each other’s work and raises awareness of its impact on our field.

CONCLUSION

Simulation in Healthcare continues grow in stature and importance. We have set a new record for our JIF and our digital reach continues to increase. We have added a social media editor to increase visibility and expand our reach. We are also adding visual abstracts to complement articles and to promote to content in new stimulating ways. Once again, I invite all of you to send us your best work, promote the Journal through our social media platforms, and increase our reach even further.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank Aaron Calhoun for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this article.

REFERENCES 1. Scerbo MW. Some achievements and some growing pains. Simul Healthc 2021;16:375–377. 2. McVeigh M. Adding early access content to journal citation reports: choosing a prospective model. (https://clarivate.com/blog/adding-early-access-content-to-journal-citation-reports-choosing-a-prospective-model/) Retrieved October 17, 2022. 3. Ketterer AR, Andrea L. An Ethical Framework for Conducting Active-Shooter Simulation in the Healthcare Environment. Simul Healthc 2022;17:270–274. 4. Cicero MX, Scherzer DJ. Mass shooting drills aren’t the best shield for our hospitals or our children. Simul Healthc 2022;17:XX–XX.