The impact factor has become a defining feature of scientific journals. However, such reductionism can be toxic to science. As Cambridge University Press Quantitative Plant Biology celebrates its 5-year anniversary, and its first impact factor, this is an opportunity to set things straight. A call to value what a scientific journal is about: a community of scientists, a guarantee of rigour and quality, an invitation to explore the complexity of our world, a fair and ethical environment and an engaging, diverse and creative arena.
