Introduction
The World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine (WJTCM) is a well-known core journal in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This article aims to investigate whether the WJTCM is a core journal or not by analyzing and reviewing its impact factor, citation index, and other relevant factors.Impact Factor
The impact factor (IF) is a commonly used measure of a journal's importance and influence in its respective field. According to the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) by Clarivate Analytics, the IF of the WJTCM was 1.621 in 2020, which indicates that the journal is considered to be of respectable standard.However, it is important to note that the IF may not always reflect the quality of a journal or its influence on the broader scientific community. In contrast, the impact factor only measures the number of citations received by articles published in the journal during a specific period. Therefore, other metrics should be taken into consideration to determine the importance and influence of the journal.Citation Index
The citation index is a measure of how frequently an article or a journal has been cited by other papers. It is considered as one of the most important indicators of the quality and significance of a journal.According to the Web of Science database, the WJTCM has been cited 3,587 times in 2,293 articles, giving an average of 1.56 citations per article. This is lower than that of some other TCM journals such as Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2.06) and Chinese Medicine (1.87), but it still indicates that the WJTCM is a significant journal in the field of TCM.Other Factors
Apart from the IF and the citation index, there are other factors that could be taken into consideration when determining the status of a journal. These include the geographical coverage, the editorial board, the peer-review process, and the publication frequency.In terms of geographical coverage, the WJTCM is an international journal that publishes articles from all over the world. Its editorial board consists of well-known and respected scholars in the field of TCM. The journal has a rigorous peer-review process and publishes articles quarterly.Conclusion
In conclusion, the World Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine is considered a core journal in the field of TCM based on its respectable impact factor, citation index, and other relevant factors. However, it is important to note that the impact factor alone may not always be an accurate measure of a journal's quality and influence. Therefore, a comprehensive review of different factors should be taken into consideration when determining the status of a journal.
