Journal Level Metrics
Journal-level metrics attempt to assess the impact factor of journals by ranking them based on how often the articles in a given journal get cited in other journals. The higher the frequency, the higher its ranking and perceived prestige (impact) within its field.
Why to Avoid Acceptance Rates
The Acceptance Rate of a journal is the percentage of submitted articles that are accepted for publication. Percentage rates are sometimes used to evaluate faculty for tenure, with the thought being that journals with a lower acceptance rate are more prestigious than those with higher acceptance rates. However, this isn't good practice. Acceptance rate is NOT a scholarly metric and offers no insight on the performance of a journal or the citable content published in it. On top of this, there's no way to verify the accuracy of the number a publisher gives.
When evaluating a journal, avoid using acceptance rates and instead use a combination of the journal level metrics listed on the subsequent pages of this guide.