Pan African Medical Journal Impact | Factor
Introduction In the ecosystem of global academic publishing, the Impact Factor (IF) remains the most controversial yet influential metric of journal prestige. For researchers across Africa—from Cape Town to Cairo—publishing in a "high-impact" journal is often a prerequisite for promotion, grant funding, and institutional recognition. Within this landscape stands the Pan African Medical Journal (PAMJ) , a fully open-access, peer-reviewed publication dedicated to African health research. A recurring question among early-career African researchers, librarians, and policymakers is: What is the Pan African Medical Journal’s impact factor?
Clarivate’s Impact Factor is calculated based on the number of citations in a given year to articles published in the journal during the two preceding years, divided by the total number of citable articles published in those two years. To receive an IF, a journal must be consistently indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) or Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) for several years. PAMJ, while indexed in numerous databases (including PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, and DOAJ), has not yet met Clarivate’s specific criteria for inclusion in JCR. It is crucial to distinguish between being indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) and having an Impact Factor . As of late 2024, PAMJ is not listed in the Web of Science Core Collection. WoS has a highly selective evaluation process that considers timeliness, citation activity, editorial rigor, and international diversity. While PAMJ has applied for inclusion in the past, it remains outside this exclusive club. pan african medical journal impact factor
| Journal | Impact Factor (Clarivate) | CiteScore (Scopus) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | South African Medical Journal | ~1.8 | ~2.4 | | African Journal of Health Professions Education | None | ~0.6 | | East African Medical Journal | None (historical) | ~0.5 | | Pan African Medical Journal | | ~1.7 | | Malawi Medical Journal | ~1.2 | ~1.5 | Introduction In the ecosystem of global academic publishing,
By that measure, PAMJ is remarkably successful. It has published over 10,000 articles since 2008, provided a voice for thousands of African researchers who would otherwise be excluded from global discourse, and created a sustainable, open-access model that prioritizes African needs over Northern metrics. Its Scopus CiteScore of ~1.7 and absence from Clarivate’s JCR do not diminish its value; they simply place it outside a flawed, exclusive system. PAMJ, while indexed in numerous databases (including PubMed,
The answer is layered. As of the most recent data release by Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports (JCR) in June 2023 and updated into 2024–2025, the Pan African Medical Journal does possess a traditional Clarivate Impact Factor. However, this absence is not a sign of low quality but rather a complex reflection of publishing history, strategic priorities, and the politics of scientometrics. This article explores PAMJ’s bibliometric standing, the alternatives to the Impact Factor, and why the journal remains a vital vehicle for African-led research. What is the Pan African Medical Journal? Founded in 2008 by the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), PAMJ was born from a specific need: to create a high-quality, continent-wide platform for African medical research that was not controlled by European or American publishing houses. Before PAMJ, African researchers often faced systematic bias, high article processing charges (APCs), and a lack of representation on editorial boards of mainstream journals.
PAMJ’s mission is explicitly Pan-Africanist: to promote the publication of original research, case studies, and reviews that address the unique disease burdens, health systems challenges, and epidemiological transitions occurring in Africa. The journal operates on a diamond open-access model (no fees for authors or readers for many years, though it later introduced modest APCs) and publishes continuously online. To date, the Pan African Medical Journal has not been assigned an Impact Factor by Clarivate Analytics .