Background: In 1993 the journal “Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin” (ASU) replaced the journal “Arbeits-, Sozial- und Präventivmedizin” (ASP) that was founded in 1965. The ASU serves several scientific and practice-oriented Central European societies as a forum and medium for making known the findings in occupational, social and environmental medicine worldwide. Yet the ASU is not listed in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and consequently has no impact factor (IF) that would help to promote it worldwide. Questions: Which criteria need to be met for inclusion in the SCI, to what extent does the ASU fulfil them, and how can the chances of inclusion be increased? Methods: Literature research for the SCI requirements, and analysis of the extent to which the articles in the ASU are cited. Results: Inclusion in the SCI is based on (1) international journal standards, (2) citation data, which indicate a certain level of interconnection with the research objectifiable worldwide, and (3) the non-explicit judgement of experts. The ASU fulfils the journal standards (a regular edition, an English abstract, a peer review system, etc.). More than a decade ago the ASP was included in the SCI and was removed, probably because its IF (< 0.07) had fallen to a low level. Compared with the ASP, the ASU is cited considerably more often. The citations indicate connections with occupational, social and environmental journals as well as other interdisciplinary journals. Simple measures could promote its citation rates. Conclusions: In addition to its present status and the positive development of its citation rates, the ASU is suitable for inclusion in the SCI as a result of its tradition, its high status and lack of rivals within German-speaking occupational, social and environmental medicine, and also the conspicuously low presence of German-speaking journals in the SCI subcategory “Public, Environmental & Occupational Health”.
