2. Can a PhD candidate make such an attempt? Your suggestion is highly welcome.
NATURE
Citations and Impact Factor
Nature is the world's most highly cited interdisciplinary science journal, according to the 2013 Journal Citation Reports Science Edition (Thomson Reuters, 2014). Its Impact Factor is 42.351. The impact factor of a journal is calculated by dividing the number of citations in a calendar year to the source items published in that journal during the previous two years. It is an independent measure calculated by Thomson Reuters, Philadelphia, USA.
http://www.nature.com/nature/about/