Currently, the list of peer-reviewed journals of the Higher Attestation Commission under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan includes 67 scientific journals. Among them, 16 (23.9%) belong to the field of natural-mathematical and technical sciences, three of which are foreign journals. Based on this, it was decided to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the impact factor values of Tajikistan's peer-reviewed journals in the natural, mathematical, and technical sectors. The analysis of scientific journals' impact factors is a key indicator for evaluating the effectiveness of their performance.
This analysis is based on two-year data and information from the RSCI (Russian Science Citation Index). Impact factor values were determined using the following formula:
Impact Factor for year N = (citations in year N of scientific articles published in years N–1 and N–2) / (total number of scientific articles published in years N–1 and N–2).
*In our analysis, we consider N = 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024.
Example calculation for the 2024 Impact Factor:
Over the last 2 years (2022 and 2024), the journal published a total of 200 articles
- In 2024, out of these 200 articles, 10 were cited
- The journal's impact factor for 2024 is 10 / 200 = 0.05
It should be noted that the analysis was conducted only among domestic journals. Due to insufficient information regarding impact factors over the last 5 years, data for 6 out of the 13 peer-reviewed domestic journals are missing (Table 1).
The chart below presents data classified by the 2024 impact factor level (above and below 0.05). According to these data, the highest impact factor for 2024 was recorded for the journal "Polytechnic Bulletin" (Series: Intelligence, Innovation, Investment).
By the end of 2024, the impact factor of the journal " News of the NAST " (Series of Physico-mathematical, chemical, geological, and technical sciences) is the lowest compared to other journals with a natural- mathematical and technical focus.
Analysis of the dynamics for 2020–2024 revealed an increase in the impact factor relative to the 2020 level for four of the publications considered.
*Due to the absence of 2020 impact factor data for the Bulletin of Bokhtar State University, 2021 indicators were used.
Recommendations for Improvement.
To increase the impact factor of domestic scientific journals and strengthen their international standing, we have identified the following key factors:
Publication of high-quality and scientifically significant articles that increase citation rates from domestic and foreign researchers
- Inclusion of journals in international scientometric databases and indices
- Improvement of journal websites and publication of information in three languages (Tajik, Russian, and English)
- Constant monitoring of materials published in journals
- Objective peer review and consideration of reviewers' comments
- Organization of a unified information network among scientific journals
- Acceptance of articles strictly in accordance with the journals' profiles.