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Physiotherapy is the official journal of the CSP. Published in an online format. It has a searchable archive that goes back to 1988. One of the journal's key aims is to publish original research and encourage continuing professional development for physiotherapists and other health professionals worldwide. The journal also aims to advance physiotherapy itself through its publication of research and scholarly work.

The latest metrics for Physiotherapy show an increase in its journal impact factor, up from 1.814 in 2015 to 3.010 in 2016. These figures reflect an increase in the average number of citations received in a particular year by papers published in the journal during the two preceding years (Physiotherapy, 2017).

The ratios are calculated by dividing all citations the journal receives by the number of items expected to be cited. Based on these metrics, the Physiotherapy journal is currently ranked seventh of 65 journals in the rehabilitation category (Clarivate Analytics, 2017). So, why is the journal impact factor important? Clarivate Analytics explains that by analysing citation references, it is possible to measure the influence and impact at the journal and category levels, visualise the relationship between citing and cited journals, and trace a journal's impact over time.

However, they also highlight that different academic fields have different patterns of citation activity. For example, the latest journal impact factor data suggest that the Quarterly Journal of Economics is the most influential journal at this time, and Robotics is the category with the highest percentage increase in aggregate journal impact factor score (Clarivate Analytics, 2017).

To read about the latest research in physiotherapy, CSP members can access Physiotherapy online free of charge via the CSP website. Articles submitted to the journal can also be considered for the CSP Charitable Trust's Open Access Award, helping to disseminate top research to an even wider audience.

More information: Physiotherapy (2017) www.physiotherapyjournal.com Clarivate Analytics (2017) bit.ly/2tt49jT

Author

Katherine Jones is the CSP's research adviser