ILT language learning & technology

Language Learning & Technology, edited by Professor Dorothy Chun, has been named one of the top journals in education, according to Thomson Reuters�s�Journal Citation Reports. Chun is a Professor in the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara�s Gevirtz School. The article found�Language Learning & Technology�to be the 14th ranked journal in the field of education in terms of impact factor. The article explains, �The impact factor is simply one measure of a journal�s influence (there are many others). It is a weighted measure � of citations per paper � and as such it is an attempt to compare journals of the same subject area that publish different numbers of papers each year. Journals producing many articles would typical attract more citations than those publishing comparatively fewer articles. The impact factor is calculated as citations in year 3 to a journal�s contents in years 1 and 2, divided by the number of regular articles and reviews published in years 1 and 2. As such, this is a relatively short-term measure of journal influence. In a field such as education, articles tend to receive citations many years after their publication, and the peak citation rate may be 5 years or more after an article appears. For this reason, the above ranking should be interpreted as �early returns� on the current status of professional journals in education.