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Abstract
Citation data from 2006 through 2008 were used to examine the journal citation network of Health Communication in comparison to 26 related journals indexed by Journal Citation Reports, a database published by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge. A recently advanced journal relatedness factor based on out-degree (i.e., cited journals) and in-degree (i.e., citing journals) citations was used to determine the network of peer journals. Results indicate Health Communication serves to link communication and health-related journals. Data were also reported on journal impact and 5-year journal impact factors. When compared to ISI-indexed communication journals, Health Communication is consistently ranked in the top 25% across impact factors and citations to the journal are consistent over the 7 years of analysis from 2002 through 2008. Methods of increasing the impact of Health Communication among journals in social sciences are discussed.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Thomas Valente, Teresa Thompson, and Roxanne Parrott for their comments on earlier versions of this paper.
Notes
1At least two factors prohibit a more longitudinal analysis of HC back to its inception in 1989. First, the earliest data available from ISI Web of Knowledge on HC are from 2002, and second, the algorithmic procedure for determining what journals HC is related to is a relatively new advance in bibliometrics (CitationPudovkin & Garfield, 2002).
2Data from 2002 through 2008 on JIF for all 45 communication journals are available by contacting the senior author. Also available are data on 5-year JIF and article influence for 2007–2008. Due to space limitations these data were not included.