Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A library science researcher reviewing Reference Services Review citation metrics (Clarivate JIF 1.3, CiteScore 3.6) alongside journal scope before submitting a digital reference study.
- Is an instance
A research administrator evaluating faculty publishing records using article-level peer review rather than treating the journal's 1.3 impact factor as an automatic proxy for paper quality.
Editorial commentary
Quick answer: Reference Services Review (ISSN 0090-7324) is a peer-reviewed library science journal published by Emerald Publishing. Emerald reports a 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 1.3 and a Scopus CiteScore of 3.6. Under the DORA principles, a journal-level metric must not be used as a proxy for the quality of individual articles.
What Is Reference Services Review?
Reference Services Review (RSR) is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal first published in 1973. Emerald acquired it from Pierian Press in 1998. Emerald describes its aim as advancing reference knowledge and improving professional practice, and the journal sits within library science and information science. Emerald states that submissions are reviewed by double anonymous peer review with at least two independent reviewers. The print ISSN is 0090-7324 and the online ISSN is 2054-1716.
What Is the Impact Factor of Reference Services Review?
The metrics below are those Emerald publishes on the journal page, checked on 2026-11-07:
| Metric | Value | Reported by |
|---|---|---|
| Journal Impact Factor (2025) | 1.3 | Emerald Publishing journal page (Clarivate metric) |
| CiteScore (2025) | 3.6 | Emerald Publishing journal page (Scopus metric) |
How Are the Journal Impact Factor and CiteScore Calculated?
The Clarivate Journal Impact Factor divides the citations received in a given Journal Citation Reports data year by the citable items the journal published in the two preceding calendar years. CiteScore is a separate Scopus metric calculated from Scopus-indexed documents, so the two numbers are not directly interchangeable. Citation norms also differ between fields, as the Heliyon impact factor profile illustrates for a multidisciplinary open access journal.
How Should Reference Services Review Metrics Be Used?
The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) recommends against using journal-level metrics as a surrogate for the quality of individual research articles. In practice:
- No individual proxy: A journal impact factor of 1.3 says nothing about the rigor or impact of any single paper in the journal.
- Metric pluralism: Review committees should weigh the content of the work and article-level evidence rather than relying on one journal number.
- Disciplinary context: Citation rates differ between fields, so compare journals within the same subject area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the impact factor of Reference Services Review?
Emerald reports a 2025 Journal Impact Factor of 1.3 and a Scopus CiteScore of 3.6 for Reference Services Review.
Who publishes Reference Services Review?
Reference Services Review is published quarterly by Emerald Publishing (print ISSN 0090-7324; online ISSN 2054-1716). Emerald acquired it from Pierian Press in 1998.
Is Reference Services Review peer reviewed?
Yes. Emerald states that the journal uses double anonymous peer review with at least two independent reviewers.
Sources
- Emerald Publishing, Reference Services Review journal page: https://www.emerald.com/rsr (checked 2026-11-07).
- Emerald Publishing, Reference Services Review publication record (ISSNs): https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/issn/0090-7324 (checked 2026-11-07).
- Wikipedia, Reference Services Review (publication history and frequency): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_Services_Review (checked 2026-11-07).
- San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA): https://sfdora.org/read/ (checked 2026-11-07).
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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