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- The \u2018diversity factor\u2019 has been proposed as a new, more equitable metric for assessing journal quality and the impact of health research.<\/li>\n
- The index takes into account the diversity of the authors, study participants, and departmental affiliations to promote a wider range of perspectives in research.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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<\/p>\nThe impact factor remains the dominant metric<\/a> among researchers for assessing journal and (indirectly) research paper quality, despite multiple calls<\/a> for it to be superseded by alternative measures<\/a>. Recently, a novel metric claimed the spotlight in an MIT News<\/em><\/a> article<\/a>. The article describes a study<\/a> by Dr Jack Gallifant et al., published in PLOS Global Public Health<\/em><\/a>, which suggests that the impact factor misses the mark in capturing a paper\u2019s impact on health. The researchers argue that, for a more accurate understanding of impact, journal metrics should take into account the diversity of the authors and of the study participants. They propose a novel metric, termed the \u2018diversity factor\u2019.<\/p>\n
The index is comprised of 3 key components:<\/p>\n
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- author demographics<\/strong>: the gender and geographic location of the authors<\/li>\n
- participant demographics<\/strong>: the gender, ethnicity, race, language, geographic location, and age of the individuals enrolled in the study<\/li>\n
- departmental affiliation<\/strong>: papers with authors from different disciplines (eg, doctors, nurses, and engineers) score more highly than papers with authors from a single field.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- participant demographics<\/strong>: the gender, ethnicity, race, language, geographic location, and age of the individuals enrolled in the study<\/li>\n
- author demographics<\/strong>: the gender and geographic location of the authors<\/li>\n
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