Top 10 TB (tuberculosis) journals

In 1882, one in every seven people in the US and Europe were dying of TB. Fast forward nearly 150 years and the world has come a long way in the treatment of this disease, but there is still plenty to be done in order to eradicate it completely.

A highly infectious illness that is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), TB mainly affects the lungs. And while it’s curable and preventable, TB’s initial symptoms can be difficult to spot – meaning someone who has even mild infection is able to transmit it to others.

In 2020, more than one and a half million people died from TB (of which 214,000 were people with HIV), and it is still the 13th leading cause of death worldwide. People living with HIV, malnutrition or diabetes, or those who smoke, have a higher risk of falling ill with TB, and without the right treatment, 45 percent of HIV-negative people, and nearly all HIV-positive people, will die.

So with World TB Day on March 24th, we thought it was an ideal opportunity to focus on the top TB journals available for medical professionals. By understanding more about this infectious disease, and how it can be prevented, and treated, we can all move towards a future that is free of TB.

Journal Metrics

Impact factor: is based on Web of Science data and only includes documents such as articles and reviews. It measures the average number of times an article is cited by other journal articles and documents. An impact factor of 3 or more is considered good, 1 is average. This list uses the 2-year impact factor from SCImago.

CiteScore: is based on Scopus data for all indexed documents, including articles, letters and editorials. Like impact factor, it measures the average citations received per document published in a journal over a 4-year time period.

Impact factor and CiteScore have the most meaning when used to compare journals within the same therapeutic area of subject. Many academics value a journal’s impact factor over its Citescore; therefore they will use the impact factor to rank other journals in the same field.

SCImago Journal Rank (SJR): measures the citations received from a journal but it also considers the importance of the journal where the citations have come from. This measurement can be helpful to rank journals within the same field and category.

Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP): measures citations weighted by subject field. A SNIP over 1.0 means a journal has more citations than average.

Tuberculosis

Impact Factor: 3.131

CiteScore: 4.5

SJR: .977

SNIP: 2.695

This journal, simply entitled Tuberculosis, has both open access and subscription based content, specifically focused on basic experimental research, publishing original research and reviews on the host response and immunology of tuberculosis and the molecular biology, genetics and physiology of the organism. It’s the only journal dedicated to experimental biomedical research in tuberculosis.

International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease

Impact Factor: 2.4

CiteScore: 4.2

SJR: 1.103

SNIP: 1.737

The International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease is the leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to lung health worldwide. It’s the reference for clinical research and epidemiological studies on TB, and it’s main aim is the continuing education for academics, clinicians and other health personnel. It publishes original articles and commissioned reviews not only on the clinical and biological aspects of pneumology, but also on community aspects.

Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases

Impact Factor: 1.53

CiteScore: 2.0

SJR: 0.585

SNIP: 1.827

The Journal of Clinical Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Diseases is an open access publication, providing a forum for clinically relevant articles on all aspects of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections, including (but not limited to) epidemiology, clinical investigation, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, drug-resistance and public policy. Two of their most cited articles are ‘Lessons on the quality of tuberculosis diagnosis from standardized patients in China, India, Kenya, and South Africa’ and ‘Tuberculosis deaths are predictable and preventable: Comprehensive assessment and clinical care is the key’.

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases

Impact Factor: 2.53

CiteScore: 2.393

SJR: 0.84

SNIP: 2.562

The Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (e-trd.org) journal is the official journal of the Korean Academy of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases. Publishing high-quality, peer-reviewed clinical or research articles, it aims to contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. From publishing important articles to encouraging the exchange of information between members and related healthcare providers and improving patient and public health, the journal is published quarterly.

Indian Journal of Tuberculosis

Impact Factor: 1.0

CiteScore: 1.3

SJR: 0.376

SNIP: 0.913

The Indian Journal of Tuberculosis (IJTB) is an international peer-reviewed journal devoted to the specialty of tuberculosis and lung diseases and is published quarterly. IJTB publishes research on clinical, epidemiological, public health and social aspects of tuberculosis. Recent articles include ‘Tuberculosis with discordant drug resistance patterns – A diagnostic dilemma’ and ‘Risk factors for non-adherence among people with HIV-associated TB in Karnataka, India: A case–control study’.

Respiratory Medicine

Impact Factor: 3.415

CiteScore: 5.6

SJR: 1.316

SNIP: 3.419

Respiratory Medicine is an internationally-renowned journal devoted to the rapid publication of clinically-relevant respiratory medicine research. It combines cutting-edge original research with state-of-the-art reviews dealing with all aspects of respiratory diseases and therapeutic interventions. Topics include adult and paediatric medicine, epidemiology, immunology and cell biology, physiology, occupational disorders, and the role of allergens and pollutants. Recent TB articles include ‘Respiratory samples to diagnose tuberculosis in the absence of chest x-ray abnormalities’ and ‘Management of isoniazid-monoresistant tuberculosis (Hr-TB) in Queensland, Australia: a retrospective case series’.

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine

Impact Factor: 30.700

CiteScore: 43.7

SJR: 9.030

SNIP: 6.054

The Lancet Respiratory Medicine launched in March 2013 as the fourth Lancet specialty journal. The journal is the global leader for essential original research in critical care and respiratory medicine, and delivers expert review, candid commentary, and breaking news, providing a clear, independent perspective about the clinical advances and practice-changing research shaping these fields.

American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

Impact Factor: 21.4

CiteScore: 7.251

SJR: 6.272

SNIP: 5.693

The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine was established by the National Tuberculosis Association (which became the American Lung Association). It focuses on human biology and disease, as well animal and in vitro studies that contribute to the understanding of pathophysiology and treatment of diseases that affect the respiratory system and critically ill patients.

European Respiratory Journal

Impact Factor: 16.671

CiteScore: 3.2

SJR: 4.021

SNIP: 5.78

The European Respiratory Journal is the most highly regarded peer-reviewed respiratory journal in Europe. Articles are published continuously and collected into 12 monthly issues in two volumes per year, covering clinical and experimental work relating to all aspects of adult and paediatric respiratory medicine. In addition to original research material, the ERJ also publishes editorial commentaries, reviews, short research letters and correspondence to the editor.

Respirology

Impact Factor: 6.424

CiteScore: 9.4

SJR: 1.857

SNIP: 3.305

Respirology publishes peer-reviewed articles of clinical and clinically-relevant experimental respiratory biology and disease. The journal also aims to encourage the international exchange of results and publishes papers in original articles, editorials, commentaries, reviews, letters and correspondences.