1. Recommendations to Improve Impact Factor of TPS Joint PSAC/PPS&T Ad Hoc Committee Brendan Godfrey, Steve Gold, Tim Grotjohn, Weihua Jiang, Ravi Joshi, Andreas Neuber

2. Background Impact Factor (IF) < 1 causes problems for journal: many institutions only count IF > 1 publications positive feedback –strong papers may go elsewhere becomes harder to attract strong papers concerns about images special issue (~500 papers) Goal: IF >= 1.5

3. Concerns Some Special Issues provide a strong citation rate IF estimate goes from 0.84 to 1.32 without Images Special Issue High acceptance rate correlates to low IF Regular papers acceptance ~60% Special issue acceptance ~80% Improve review experience and promptness Marketing – getting TPS in front of readers

4. Recommendations 1.No new Special Issue on Images beyond 2014 (acquire data on other Special Issues) 2.Improved Reviewer Questionnairre (in full report) 3.EIC/Senior Editor screen for language and subject appropriateness 4.Monthly email blast (already in progress) 5.Study review process to determine how to reduce to 6 months (see full report for specific recommendations), including Rapid Communications articles where appropriate, early access viewing 6.Solicit Review papers (regular and topical Special Issue), make open access 7.Top paper award based on citations (recognition plus open access) 8.Review competitiveness of page charge policy

5. Initiative Budgetary Request Annual Budget (for two year initiative): $35,000 open access (review papers and citation award papers) Also consider reducing/removing page charges? Needs further consideration, impact on Pubs revenue

6. Straw Man Motion (pending FinCom) Allocate up to $35,000 per year for two years to TPS in order to support the initiatives for improving the impact factor, including open access for review papers and high citation award papers.