Press Release

     Bipolar Disorders - An International Journal of     Psychiatry and Neurosciences announces     first Impact Factor

     Bipolar Disorders ranks 19th out of 88 psychiatric    
     journals that receive an Impact Factor.

Pittsburgh, PA - July 1, 2003: The ISBD is pleased to report that the Impact Factor for Bipolar Disorders - An International Journal of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, the official journal of the ISBD, has been released for the year 2002, and the results are impressive.

An Impact Factor, according to publishers Blackwell Science, reflects the value of a journal in terms of "its worth and relevance to the academic community it serves." Simply stated, it reflects the "impact" of the content it publishes. While this number does in some sense speak to the visibility of a journal, the number is actually a much more complex figure that takes into account several factors, including the number of articles the journal publishes that are eligible for citation and the number of times that these articles are cited in other publications. In fact, in order for a journal to even receive an impact factor, it must first merit inclusion in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) database, which requires that it pass a review procedure.

The Impact Factor for Bipolar Disorders is 3.097, which ranks it 19th out of 88 psychiatric journals that receive an Impact Factor. It is significant for the Journal to receive such a ranking, considering that the first issue was published 1999. However, the number reflects more than impact; it also reflects the hard work and dedication of the editorial staff, and the ISBD applauds this significant milestone for the Journal.

 

The International Society for Bipolar Disorders is the recognized forum to foster ongoing international collaboration, education, research and advances in the treatment and in all aspects of bipolar disorders. The Society is open to the entire spectrum of mental healthcare professionals including basic and clinical researchers, psychiatrists, pharmacologists, psychologists, social workers, students and trainees in these fields, as well as other mental health professionals, persons affected by bipolar disorder and their families.