Scientific Reports Impact Factor: What It Really Means for Researchers?

The scientific reports impact factor 2024 is 3.9, reflecting its growing influence and wide citation across the biomedical research community.

If you’ve spent any time in academia—especially in the biomedical or life sciences—you’ve probably seen people huddled around Journal Citation Reports like it’s draft day in the NBA. “What’s the impact factor this year?” they ask, half-joking, half-serious. And when it comes to ​Scientific Reports​, one of Nature Portfolio’s biggest open-access journals, this number always sparks a lively conversation.

Why? Because Scientific Reports is a journal that almost everyone’s heard of, many people have published in, and just as many have an opinion about. Is it a solid venue for sound science, or just an easy way to get a paper out the door? Let’s sort through the hype, the numbers, and the reality.

So, What’s the Latest Impact Factor?

Here’s the straightforward part. According to Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports for 2024, Scientific Reports has:

• 2-year Impact Factor: ~3.9
• 5-year Impact Factor: ~4.3
• Immediacy Index: 0.9
• Eigenfactor Score: ~0.88

These numbers come directly from the Nature official website and Clarivate database. They’re neat, tidy, and very official—but, you know what? They don’t tell the whole story. They never do.

Impact factor (IF) measures how often papers in a journal are cited on average. It’s calculated by dividing the number of citations in a given year by the number of articles published in the previous two years. Sounds precise—but like trying to judge a restaurant solely by its Yelp stars, you miss the flavor, the service, and the atmosphere.

If you want to ​quickly explore journal trends and impact factors​, you can use PubMed.ai’s search and summary tools to get structured insights without digging through multiple databases.

Has the Impact Factor Been Going Up or Down?

If you scroll back a few years, you’ll notice some interesting trends. Third-party databases like SCImago Journal Rank also track this:

• 2017: ~1.53
• 2018: ~1.41
• 2019: ~1.34
• 2020: ~1.24
• 2024: ~3.9 (Clarivate IF)

The numbers have climbed steadily in recent years, which makes sense given how massive the journal has become. Scientific Reports now publishes thousands of papers annually—covering everything from microbiology to materials science—and those papers naturally rack up citations over time.

If you want a ​quick trend analysis across multiple journals​, PubMed.ai can generate structured reports to help visualize citation growth and impact factor evolution.

But don’t confuse a rising impact factor with a sudden leap in “prestige.” Editorial policies, changes in indexing, and even global events (think COVID-19 research surges) can swing citation rates in unexpected ways.

What Do Researchers Really Think About Scientific Reports?

Ask five scientists what they think of ​Scientific Reports​, and you’ll get six opinions. Some praise its inclusive scope and solid peer review. Others grumble about its high acceptance rate and perceive it as “easier” than traditional Nature-branded journals.

Spend five minutes on Reddit’s r/academia​, and you’ll see discussions like:

• “The peer review was rigorous, but fair.”
• “It feels like they accept almost everything that’s scientifically sound.”
• “Great journal if your work is solid but not super flashy.”

So, is it reputable? Yes. It’s part of ​Nature Portfolio​, indexed in ​PubMed, ​Web of Science​, and ​Scopus​.

For a more ​detailed literature search or impact analysis​, you can use PubMed.ai’s advanced search co-pilot to explore specific journals like Scientific Reports and their citation trends.

How Does Impact Factor Actually Work?

Let me explain quickly, because this number gets thrown around like confetti.

If a journal publishes 1,000 articles in 2022 and 2023, and those articles receive 3,900 citations in 2024, its ​2024 impact factor is 3.9​. Simple division.

But here’s the catch:

• A single highly-cited paper can inflate the metric.
• Journals with broad coverage (like ​Scientific Reports​) may see “diluted” numbers compared to niche journals with fewer but highly targeted papers.
• It says nothing about your paper’s quality or how your citations will grow.

Honestly, it’s like counting calories without reading ingredients—you get a number, but no context.

You can read PubMed.ai’s Journal trends blog to quickly check which papers are highly cited within a journal and understand how metrics accumulate.

Where Does Scientific Reports Fit Among Its Peers?

Within ​Nature Portfolio​, Scientific Reports sits comfortably as a high-volume, generalist journal. Compare this with ​Cell Death & Disease​, another well-known biomedical journal with an impact factor in the 5–7 range depending on the year.

Why mention Cell Death & Disease here? Because many researchers weighing Scientific Reports also look at similar open-access journals. Both are indexed broadly, both are reputable, but they serve slightly different audiences. One’s more specialized (apoptosis, necroptosis, cancer biology), while the other casts a much wider net.

If you’re debating where to submit, ask yourself:

• Do I need broad exposure or a niche audience?
• Am I targeting a community that values general open-access reach over a high IF badge?
• Am I willing to pay the article processing charge (APC) for that visibility?

Should You Publish in Scientific Reports?

Here’s the thing: this journal is ​fully open access​, which means anyone—students, clinicians, your neighbor’s dog—can read your work without a paywall. That’s a huge plus for visibility.

The APC is not small (several thousand dollars), but many institutions or grants cover it. And indexing is excellent: ​PubMed​, ​Scopus, ​Web of Science​—all check.

Who benefits most?

• Early-career scientists who need a solid publication to demonstrate productivity.
• Biomedical researchers with strong, methodologically sound work that might not scream “breakthrough.”
• Teams collaborating internationally who want open-access reach without being locked into a tiny specialty journal.

And if you want to ​quickly generate a structured summary or citation report​, ​PubMed.ai can do that in minutes.

Conclusion: The Number Isn’t the Whole Story

Scientific Reports has a 2-year impact factor of ~3.9 (2024) and a ​5-year impact factor of ~4.3​. It’s reputable, widely read, and rigorously peer-reviewed—but it’s not designed to be a “trophy journal.”

If you’re deciding where to submit, consider audience, indexing, APCs, and whether you value broad visibility over elite branding. Because in the long run, citations and impact come from how useful your paper is—not just where you park it.

FAQs About Scientific Reports Impact Factor

What is the 2024 impact factor of Scientific Reports?

The journal’s ​2-year impact factor is about 3.9​, with a ​5-year impact factor of about 4.3​, according to ​**Clarivate’s Journal Citation Reports**​. You can also use PubMed.ai to check recent trends.

Is Scientific Reports considered a reputable journal?

Yes. It’s part of ​Nature Portfolio​, indexed in PubMed and ​Web of Science.

How does its impact factor compare to Cell Death & Disease?

Cell Death & Disease typically has an impact factor in the ​5–7 range​, higher than ​Scientific Reports​.

Does Scientific Reports charge publication fees?

Yes. It’s open-access with ​APCs​, typically covered by grants or institutions.

Is Scientific Reports indexed in PubMed and Web of Science?

Absolutely. Articles are indexed in ​PubMed​, ​Scopus​, and ​Web of Science. You can also use PubMed.ai to check indexing and citation data for any journal.