Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A research librarian examining ITAL's 2-year JIF (2.7) and Q1 SJR ranking to evaluate the venue's reach in scholarly communication before manuscript submission.
- Is an instance
A research administrator referencing ITAL's diamond open-access status to demonstrate compliance with institutional and funder zero-embargo open access policies.
Editorial commentary
Quick answer: Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL) carries a Clarivate Journal Impact Factor (JIF) of 2.7 (with a 5-year Impact Factor of 2.2) and an Elsevier Scopus SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) of 0.669, placing it in Quartile 1 (Q1) in Library and Information Sciences. ITAL is a diamond open-access journal published quarterly by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) with zero article processing charges (APCs) for authors.
Information Technology and Libraries (eISSN 2163-5226, pISSN 0730-9295) is a peer-reviewed journal covering the critical intersection of information technology, library operations, and information science. Researchers exploring foundational disciplinary frameworks should consult what is library science alongside what is information science to position ITAL’s technical scope within broader information systems research.
Metric Values and Indexing Tiers
ITAL is indexed in both major global bibliographic databases, reflecting cross-disciplinary relevance across computing and information management:
- Clarivate Web of Science (JCR): Carries a 2-year Journal Impact Factor of 2.7 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 2.2. It is indexed in both the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) under Computer Science, Information Systems and the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) under Information Science & Library Science.
- Elsevier Scopus / SCImago: Holds an SJR score of 0.669, achieving Q1 rank (#60 of 289 journals) in Library and Information Sciences and Q2 rank in Information Systems.
- Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ): Listed with no article processing charges, a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license, and open access since 2011.
How the Impact Factor Is Calculated
The Clarivate Journal Impact Factor measures the citation rate of a journal over a defined annual cycle. The 2-year JIF of 2.7 is the number of citations received in the data year by items ITAL published in the preceding two calendar years, divided by the number of citable items (research articles and reviews) it published in those two years. The 5-year JIF extends the citation window to five years, moderating short-term citation spikes. Sibling venue evaluations, such as the Heliyon impact factor or multidisciplinary titles like the Scientific Reports impact factor, reflect different citation dynamics and disciplinary bases. For another comparison, see the Hindawi journal impact factor guide.
Governance, Access Model, and Infrastructure
Unlike commercial hybrid and gold open-access journals that levy article processing charges, ITAL operates under a diamond open-access model. The journal is published by the American Library Association’s Core division. Its own site states that it does not charge submission fees or article processing charges.
Responsible Metric Use and DORA Context
In alignment with the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and the Leiden Manifesto, journal-level metrics must be applied responsibly. An impact factor of 2.7 characterizes the aggregate citation density of ITAL as an entire publication vehicle over a 24-month period; it is not a direct reflection of the scientific quality, rigor, or individual influence of any single paper published within the journal. Both documents recommend assessing individual work on its own merits rather than by the journal it appeared in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the impact factor of Information Technology and Libraries?
Clarivate Journal Citation Reports records a 2-year Journal Impact Factor of 2.7 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 2.2 for Information Technology and Libraries.
Does Information Technology and Libraries charge author fees?
No. ITAL is a diamond open-access publication supported by the American Library Association’s Core division, requiring no article processing charges (APCs) from authors.
In which databases is ITAL indexed?
ITAL is indexed in Clarivate Web of Science (SCIE and SSCI), Elsevier Scopus (Q1 in Library and Information Sciences), and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ).
Sources
- Directory of Open Access Journals. Information Technology and Libraries (eISSN 2163-5226). Checked 2026-11-07. https://doaj.org/toc/2163-5226
- Information Technology and Libraries, About the journal (ALA Core). Checked 2026-11-07. https://ital.corejournals.org/index.php/ital/about
- Clarivate. Master Journal List and Journal Citation Reports (impact factor values, subscription data). Checked 2026-11-07. https://mjl.clarivate.com/
- SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR and quartiles). Checked 2026-11-07. https://www.scimagojr.com/
- San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment. https://sfdora.org/read/
- Hicks et al., The Leiden Manifesto for research metrics, Nature 520 (2015). https://www.nature.com/articles/520429a
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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