Pioneering journal eLife faces major test after loss of impact factor

"The open-access journal eLife is facing upset after the news that the journal will lose its impact factor — a controversial metric based on citations that is often used as shorthand for quality.

Clarivate, the London-based analytics firm that calculates the impact factor, announced the decision last month, after the scholarly database it owns, Web of Science, said it would no longer index eLife’s papers. That move is a result of eLife’s 2023 introduction of a radical publishing model in which it no longer ‘accepts’ or ‘rejects’ manuscripts, but posts all submissions sent out for review, alongside their referee reports.

The developments raise questions about whether authors are willing to dump conventional measures of quality and prestige for what many say is a long-needed change in research publishing. Clarivate's decisions have led to a dip in eLife submissions — which cost authors US$2,500 per paper sent for review — from some regions...."