In the world of academic research, impact factor is often one of the first metrics scholars, universities, and funding agencies look at when judging the reputation and influence of a journal. But not all journals have an impact factor in the traditional sense, especially newer or specialist titles. SSM – Health Systems is one such case. This article explores what the impact factor is, how it is calculated, how SSM – Health Systems fits into the scholarly landscape, and what alternative metrics are used to assess its reach and influence.
Understanding “Impact Factor”: What It Is and What It Isn’t
What Is an Impact Factor?
The impact factor (IF), also called the journal impact factor (JIF), is a quantitative metric originally developed in the 1960s by Eugene Garfield. It measures the average number of citations received in a specific year by articles published in a journal over the two preceding years. This metric is typically produced annually by Clarivate Analytics in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR). It is widely used — though also critiqued — as a proxy for journal prestige and influence.
How the traditional (Clarivate) impact factor is calculated:
- The numerator is the total number of citations in the current year to items the journal published in the previous two years.
- The denominator is the total number of “citable items” (research articles, review articles) the journal published in those two years.
For example:
If Journal X’s 2024 IF is 4.0, that means on average each article from Journal X published in 2022 and 2023 was cited four times in 2024.
Impact factors are often used by researchers when choosing where to submit work and by institutions when evaluating research performance. However, they have limitations (e.g., not capturing article-level impact or usefulness outside research communities).
Introduction to SSM – Health Systems
What Is SSM – Health Systems?
SSM – Health Systems is an open access academic journal published by Elsevier. Its mission is to publish interdisciplinary social science research focused on health systems and the resources that shape health and well-being across the world. This includes topics such as governance, financing, workforce issues, access to care, equity, and health system performance.
The journal also emphasizes research from under-represented settings, including topics relevant to low- and middle-income countries.
Launch and Publication Details
- Online ISSN: 2949-8562
- Publisher: Elsevier
- Frequency: Quarterly (beginning in 2023)
- Open Access: Yes (free access for readers)
Because it is a relatively new journal, only having started publication in 2023, it does not yet have an official Clarivate impact factor published in the Journal Citation Reports. This is a critical point for researchers considering metrics for evaluation.
So, What Is the Impact Factor of SSM – Health Systems?
1. Clarivate (JCR) Impact Factor: Not Yet Assigned
As of the most recent update available:
SSM – Health Systems does not currently have an official Clarivate Journal Impact Factor listed in Journal Citation Reports.
Why?
The Clarivate impact factor requires a journal to be indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection and to have published articles for at least two years with citation data collected. New journals typically do not receive an official impact factor until enough citation data accumulates and the journal meets Clarivate’s indexing criteria.
This means:
- There is no official Clarivate impact factor for SSM – Health Systems yet.
- If the journal is indexed by Clarivate in the future and meets thresholds, it may receive a JCR impact factor.
This absence is not unique or unusual for new or niche open access journals.
Alternative Metrics Used Instead of Clarivate Impact Factor
Since SSM – Health Systems lacks a traditional impact factor at this stage, scholars often consider alternative metrics to gauge influence and impact.
1. CiteScore (from Scopus) and Similar Metrics
Elsevier’s own platform (e.g., Scopus) produces a metric called CiteScore which may provide an early signal of citation impact. CiteScore measures citations to a journal’s articles over a three- or four-year period and divides by the number of publications. These metrics are generally available sooner than a Clarivate impact factor and can be a useful “proxy” for early impact.
Some journals list these internally, but for SSM – Health Systems, there are no widely published citation metrics yet on Scopus’ public listings.
2. Google Scholar Metrics
Google Scholar provides journal metrics based on its own citation database, including:
- h5-index
- h5-median
If SSM – Health Systems is tracked in Google Scholar, these values can give a sense of the journal’s citation influence among authors and readers.
However, Google Scholar metrics are not as standardized as Clarivate or Scopus metrics and vary by coverage.
3. Usage, Downloads, and Altmetrics
Because SSM – Health Systems is open access:
- Download counts,
- Social media mentions, and
- Article-level Altmetrics (e.g., news or policy citations)
might be especially meaningful indicators of reach and engagement.
For many researchers, altmetrics offer a supplement to citation counts, particularly in fields such as health systems where policy influence matters. While such metrics do not replace a formal impact factor, they can help measure real-world influence.
How Other SSM Branded Journals Are Ranked as Context
The “SSM” journal family includes other related titles like:
- SSM – Population Health
- SSM – Mental Health
- SSM – Qualitative Research in Health
These titles do have established impact metrics in some ranking databases (for example, Scopus or Clarivate Web of Science indexing) which can provide useful context.
For example:
- SSM – Population Health has a Scopus-based impact factor around 3.1 and is ranked in Q1 for its category.
- SSM – Mental Health has an approximate impact score in the 2.6–2.9 range.
These established journals show that the “SSM” brand of journals can achieve strong citation influence fairly quickly after launch. But this doesn’t directly translate to an impact factor for SSM – Health Systems because each journal must be indexed and evaluated independently.
Why Some Journals Don’t Immediately Have an Impact Factor
Not having a Clarivate impact factor right away — or at all — can be due to one or more of these reasons:
1. Journal Age
Newer journals — such as SSM – Health Systems (first published in 2023) — require a minimum amount of time and citation data before scoring can be calculated.
2. Indexing Requirements
Impact factor depends on inclusion in Clarivate’s Web of Science Core Collection. Journals can be indexed in other databases (e.g., Scopus) without being in Web of Science.
3. Scope and Citation Patterns
Journals in interdisciplinary areas, like health systems and social sciences, often have citation dynamics that differ from hard science fields, sometimes delaying metric accumulation.
4. Strategic Positioning
Some journals prioritize open access, rapid publication, and broad impact over early inclusion in specific citation indexing products — especially when evolving in niche or policy-oriented fields.
How Researchers Should Interpret the Absence of an Impact Factor
If you are a researcher, librarian, or decision-maker, here’s how to interpret the lack of a traditional impact factor for SSM – Health Systems:
It Doesn’t Mean the Journal Is Low Quality
Quality is better judged by peer review standards, editorial board expertise, and published article relevance rather than a single metric. SSM – Health Systems is peer reviewed and published by a major academic publisher, Elsevier.
Alternative Indicators Matter
Look at:
- Citation patterns on Scopus (CiteScore, h-index)
- Google Scholar metrics
- Article-level altmetrics
- Special issue topics and editorial leadership
These provide a more nuanced understanding of influence.
Comparing Within Field
Compare SSM – Health Systems with other journals in health systems research based on:
- Topic relevance
- Audience reach
- Open access advantage
instead of raw impact factor numbers.
Why Impact Factors Still Matter — and Why They Don’t Always Tell the Whole Story
Why They Matter
- Institutions sometimes use impact factors in hiring, tenure, and promotion decisions.
- Funders may consider journal reputation when reviewing research proposals.
- Researchers may use impact factor as one data point in choosing where to publish.
Why They Don’t Tell the Whole Story
- Impact factor focuses only on citations within a short timeframe.
- It does not measure research quality, policy influence, or real-world impact.
- It only applies to journals indexed by certain indexing services.
For applied, interdisciplinary fields like health systems research, broader evaluation metrics — including real-world policy impact — can be just as important.
Emerging Metrics and the Future of Scholarly Impact
Because traditional metrics evolve slowly, the scholarly community increasingly looks at:
- CiteScore and SNIP
- SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)
- Altmetrics
- h-index at journal or article level
- Downloads and media engagement
- Policy citations
These help capture a more diverse picture of how research contributes to academic knowledge and societal outcomes.
For a journal like SSM – Health Systems, these alternative metrics may be especially valuable as it matures and its content is cited in both academic research and health policy discussions.
Summary: What Is the Impact Factor of SSM – Health Systems?
- At present, SSM – Health Systems does not have an official Clarivate (JCR) impact factor.
- This is typical for new journals that are not yet indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection.
- Other related SSM journals (like SSM – Population Health) do have established impact metrics, highlighting the potential for Health Systems as it grows.
- Alternative metrics (CiteScore, Google Scholar, altmetrics) can help researchers assess influence in the absence of a traditional impact factor.
- Impact factor is useful but should not be the only indicator of journal quality or relevance — especially in interdisciplinary fields where influence spans academia, policy, and practice.
Final Thoughts
For researchers, students, and academic evaluators, the key to understanding SSM – Health Systems isn’t simply whether it has a Clarivate impact factor, but how the journal is contributing to scholarship, informing policy, and shaping practice in health systems research. With time, expanded indexing, and increasing citations, it may receive a formal impact factor. For now, its openness, interdisciplinarity, and relevance to pressing global health challenges are strong indicators of influence — measurable across multiple metrics.
