How can I check the citation count and impact factor of an article?

To check an article's citation count and track journal impact factors, utilize established academic databases and citation analysis tools. This is feasible through institutional or personal subscriptions to major indexing services. Citation counts, reflecting how often a particular article is cited by others, are typically provided within scholarly databases indexing the article (e.g., Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar). Each platform employs proprietary methodologies, leading to variations in count totals. Journal Impact Factor (JIF), an annual metric indicating the average number of citations received per article published in a journal during the preceding two years, is found within proprietary Journal Citation Reports (JCR, on the Web of Science platform), Scopus's CiteScore metrics, or journal publisher websites. Crucially, verify the metric version and calculation year. Be aware of coverage limitations and the ethical debate surrounding over-reliance on JIF for individual article evaluation. Distinguish JIF (a journal-level metric) from an article's citation count. Begin by identifying the article's Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or title. Access your institution's library portal or the relevant database directly (Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Google Scholar). Search for the article; its record should display the citation count received within that specific database. For the journal's Impact Factor, access Journal Citation Reports via Web of Science; search by journal title or ISSN to view the latest JIF and its trend. Utilizing these metrics supports research evaluation, informed journal selection for publication, and assessment of scholarly influence within a field.