journal_of_medical_cases

Journal of Medical Case Reports

📄 Credibility & Indexing

  • Publisher: BioMed Central (part of Springer Nature).
  • Established: 2007.
  • Indexing: Included in Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL.
  • Impact Factor (2024):
    • 2-year IF: '0.8'
    • 5-year IF: '0.9'
    • SNIP: '0.677'
    • SJR: '0.310'
  • The journal is considered legitimate and well-indexed but with modest academic influence.

🕒 Editorial Process & Turnaround

  • Median time to first decision: '32 days'
  • Median time to acceptance: '145 days'
  • Peer Review: Structured and guided, especially supportive for early-career reviewers.

📝 Scope & Article Types

  • Focuses on:
    • Rare or unusual presentations
    • Novel diagnostic or therapeutic approaches
    • Adverse drug reactions
    • “N-of-1” studies and prevalence data from case series
  • Includes clinical meta-analyses based on individual case reports.

🔍 Strengths vs Weaknesses

Strengths Considerations
✅ Open-access: High daily visibility (~11,400 accesses) and over 4.5 million downloads/year ⚠️ Low impact factor, typical for case-report journals
✅ Indexed in reputable databases (Scopus, PubMed) ⚠️ Not suitable for researchers prioritizing high citation metrics
✅ Transparent review process and editorial integrity ⚠️ Less academic prestige compared to high-impact clinical journals

🧭 Comparison with Alternatives

  • Compared to Cureus:
    • Cureus has faster publication, but variable indexing and review stringency.
  • Compared to major clinical journals (e.g., *Mayo Clinic Proceedings*):
    • Those journals rarely accept isolated case reports unless embedded in broader research.

✅ Recommendations

  • Suitable for:
    • Clinicians aiming to publish instructive or rare clinical observations.
    • Early-career authors seeking entry into peer-reviewed publication.
  • Less suited for:
    • Researchers focused on improving their h-index or aiming for high-impact journals.

⚠️ Watchpoints

  • The journal is 'not predatory': clear fees, legitimate peer-review, and ethical standards.
  • Always verify indexing status in Scopus/PubMed before submitting.
  • Avoid confusing with similarly named, non-indexed case-report outlets.

📌 Conclusion

  • The *Journal of Medical Case Reports* is a reliable and well-indexed platform for publishing clinical case material.
  • It balances accessibility and visibility with rigorous but attainable editorial standards.
  • Not intended for high-impact scientific contribution, but highly useful for clinical documentation, education, and academic engagement.
  • journal_of_medical_cases.txt
  • Last modified: 2025/07/11 12:40
  • by administrador