Library Help: Office For Open Research

What is FWCI?

Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) is a metric that compares the citation performance of a research output to the global average for similar publications in the same field, publication type, and publication year.

• An FWCI of 1.00 means the publication has received the expected number of citations.

• An FWCI above 1.00 means it has been cited more than expected.

• An FWCI below 1.00 means it has been cited less than expected.

For example, an FWCI of 1.50 indicates a paper has been cited 50% more than the global average for comparable research.
 

Why is FWCI useful?

FWCI is a normalised metric, meaning it adjusts for disciplinary differences in citation practices. This makes it especially useful for:

• Cross-disciplinary comparison
  Allows fairer evaluation of research in fields with naturally different citation behaviours (e.g., medicine vs. history).

• Contextualised impact
  Takes into account the subject field, publication type (e.g., journal article, review), and publication age.

• Assessing influence
  Offers insight into how widely a publication or body of work is being cited relative to expectations—useful for identifying high-performing research.

• Benchmarking performance
  Institutions and departments can use FWCI to evaluate groups of outputs and spot areas of strength or opportunity.
   

How is FWCI Calculated?

FWCI is calculated by dividing the total citation count of a publication by the expected citation count for that publication, which is based on the average citation rate for similar publications within the same field and year. In other words, it measures how many citations a paper receives compared to what is typical for its discipline, publication type, and time period.

The formula for FWCI is:

• FWCI > 1.00 indicates that the paper has received more citations than expected for its field.
• FWCI = 1.00 means the paper has received the expected number of citations for its field.
• FWCI < 1.00 means the paper has received fewer citations than expected for its field.

Platforms for FWCI

SciVal:

FWCI is available in SciVal, Elsevier’s research analytics tool built on Scopus data. SciVal offers:

• FWCI scores at the author, group, or institutional level

• Detailed analysis over time or by field

• Exportable reports for benchmarking and performance evaluation

Scopus:

FWCI values are also available at the article level within Scopus. While Scopus provides FWCI for individual outputs, SciVal offers more advanced features and visualisations for analysing trends and comparisons.
 

How to find FWCI in SciVal

To find the FWCI for a specific paper, author, or institution in SciVal, follow these steps:

1. Log In to SciVal:

   • Access SciVal 
   • In order to access SciVal you will need to register for an account with Elsevier. You must use your University of Manchester email address and credentials in order to do this.  Once you have registered the tool can be accessed from www.scival.com 
      

2. Search for your papers:

   • You will need to locate your author profile within SciVal. Use the Explore function, then select Researchers & Groups. You will need to use the Create/Import option to locate your profile if you do not already have this saved within SciVal.
      

3. View the FWCI:

   • Once your profile is visible you will, SciVal will display an overall FWCI value, showing how all of your papers compare to others in the same field and time frame. Use the View list of publications option to view FWCI details for individual papers.
      

4. Interpret the Results:

   • An FWCI of 1.00 means the paper has received an average number of citations for its field. An FWCI greater than 1.00 shows that the paper has exceeded the expected citation count, while an FWCI below 1.00 indicates that it has received fewer citations than average.
      

5. Explore Additional Metrics:

   • SciVal offers more comprehensive analyses, such as citation trends over time and comparisons to peers or similar institutions. These metrics can provide additional context for understanding the significance of the FWCI score.

Responsible use of FWCI

FWCI can provide a valuable metric for contextualising citation impact, but like all research metrics, it should be:

• Used in combination with other quantitative and qualitative indicators

• Interpreted carefully, especially for small sample sizes

• Viewed in context of research goals and field norms

📌 Our Research Indicators team can help you understand and interpret FWCI appropriately, whether for a grant application, promotion case, or internal review.
 

Further reading and support

📘 Elsevier’s guide to FWCI in SciVal 
📞 Contact the Office for Open Research for support using FWCI or accessing SciVal