Since conceptualisation in 1955, journal impact factors (IFs) have evolved as surrogate markers of perceived ‘quality’. However, no previous research has explored the relationship between IF and journal self-citation rate, which may inflate this measure. Given Radiography's ongoing push to achieve Medline and ISI database inclusion, this paper aimed to quantitatively explore the frequency of self-citation and correlate this with ISI-reported IF. These journals are indexed with all their citations noted. The top open access journals are indexed in MEDLINE, PUBMED, SCOPUS, COPERNICUS, CAS, EBSCO and ISI. It is expected that applying these new technologies will lead to discovery of a host of novel oncogenes and tumor suppressors, which will have a significant impact in our understanding of tumorigenesis and in the clinical management of cancer patients.