CIWEM’s Water and Environment Journal celebrates success as it hits key engagement milestone

More than two decades on from its inception CIWEM’s Water and Environment journal (WEJ) has continued to go from strength to strength with figures revealing a healthy uptick in its impact factor.

Impact factors (IF) are used to measure the importance of a journal by calculating the number of times selected articles are cited within the last few years.

WEJ’s impact factor score increased from to 2.070 from 1.426 between 2019 and 2020 according to recently released figures, making it’s IF score above industry average. The fact that it has pushed past two also demonstrates that the internationally recognised peer-reviewed journal focused on innovations and solutions in water management has an engaged and growing audience.

Reflecting on the evolution of WEJ earlier this year Associate Editor Robin Walls highlighted, amongst other things:

• The journal’s digital transformation from typed manuscripts to paperless PDFs

• The increasingly international nature of the papers (In volume 1 (Aug 1987) only one of the 16 papers originated outside the British Isles. In the first issue of volume 35 in February 2021, by comparison, more than three-quarters of the 35 papers were penned by international authors)

• The rise in multidisciplinary and multi-authored papers

• The inclusion of subjects very much concerned with our current problems – environmental conservation, ecosystem services, natural capital, moving to a circular economy and net zero

Signing off he wrote: “My hope is that WEJ will continue to respond to global needs as a respected source of good science to help us get through crises and improve the environment. Exciting, and I’m sorry I’ll only see it along part of that journey.”

Publications manager (maternity cover) Sarah Anderton says: "It’s fantastic to see the journal’s recent improvements under the direction of Editor in Chief Ana Soares, with the support of her great team, reflected in this year's increased impact factor. I’m sure we will continue to see the Water and Environment Journal go from strength to strength, honouring its history and the efforts of everyone that’s been involved."

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