For the seventh year in a row, the International Journal of Nursing Studies (IJNS) has topped the Impact Factor list of 124 nursing journals. This year, it achieved its highest ever impact rating with a score of 5.837, two points ahead of its nearest counterpart. The journal, which has strong ties with the Faculty of Nursing Midwifery & Palliative Care, is the first journal published outside of the US to hold the number one position.

The IJNS publishes original research and scholarship about healthcare delivery, organisation, management, workforce, policy and research methods relevant to nursing, midwifery and other health related professions. It is one of the longest standing sources of scholarship in this field and has been publishing original peer-reviewed articles of interest to the international healthcare community since 1963.

The Impact Factor is a measure of the influence of a journal in its subject field calculated by the average number of citations received in a particular year by papers published in a journal during the two preceding years. Impact Factor metrics are published every year in the long-established Clarivate Journal Citation Report, an important way for the research community to identify and evaluate the world’s leading sciences and social sciences journals.

Staff from King’s have been integral to the journal’s academic standing over the last 20 years and the IJNS editorial office is based in the Faculty.

Ian Norman, Emeritus Professor of Mental Health, and former Executive Dean of the Faculty has been the Editor-in-Chief since 2005. Under his leadership the journal has risen from a mid-point position to the top of the rankings.

Faculty staff past and present have contributed to the journal's success including, Emeritus Professor Alison While, Dr Mary Leamy, Dr Samantha Coster (all of whom are Associate Editors) and Trevor Murrells (Statistical Editor). Dame Professor Anne Marie Rafferty CBE and Professor Ruth Harris are members of the Editorial Board.

Executive Dean of the Faculty, Professor Irene Higginson said: ‘These latest results for the IJNS show its continued importance within the research community and wider healthcare field in supporting policy and practice informed by the highest standards of research. Being ranked first for Impact Factor out of 125 journals is a huge achievement and congratulations to colleagues in the Faculty and wider editorial team on this latest success.’

Find out more about the IJNS on the journal website

Learn more about how the Journal Impact Factor is calculated on the Clarivate website