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Altmetrics

Suggestions for using data gathered from 'social media' as an index of research influence are reviewed

What are Altmetrics?

Altmetrics, or alternative metrics,  provide metrics beyond traditional citations. The provide an additional way to look at an article's impact beyond traditional measures such as citation counts, cited reference counts, journal prestige (Journal CiteScores, Scimago Journal Rank, or Journal Impact Factors), or author H-index.

Altmetrics may provide earlier evidence of an article's impact ahead of traditional citation methods since they are not dependent on the publication timelines.

These measures are said to be

  • Easier to make
  • Can be done faster than is possible in the citation cycle 
  • Would be  quantitative and objective gauges of the activity surrounding the appearance of a report
  • And by implication, would help clarify, and even rank the 'impact' of an article
  • Altmetrics can show online use of articles based on usage on the publisher site and mentions on social media

These measures include counting how often an item is:

  • Viewed by visitors
  • Downloaded or printed
  • Bookmarked or saved to citation managers like Mendeley, Zotero, etc.
  • Mentioned in Blog commentaries
  • Shared on social media like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, etc.
  • Considered in email forums or discussion groups

Considerations Surrounding Altmetrics:

  • Lack of a standard definition
  • Lack of data normalization
    sources of altmetrics are not comparable between providers because data may be collected differently
  • Time dependent
    Older works will likely not have as many altmetrics as newer works. The lifespan of use is unknown.
  • Tracking issues
    DOIs help with tracking but not all providers provide consistent tracking for items without DOIs.

Using Altmetrics:

Altmetrics can help provide a narrative and context around your work. You can show usage beyond traditional citations and perhaps its reach beyond the scholarl community. 

Types of Altmetrics

Altmetrics by Selected Publication Type

  Articles Books &
Chapters
Data Posters Slides Videos
Citations
(times cited)
X X X      
Bookmarks X X X X X X
Discussion X X X X X X
Shares X     X   X
Views X X X X X X
WorldCat Holdings   X        
Ratings   X        
Reuse     X      
Likes/Dislikes         X X

Read More

Learn more about Altmetrics:

Services Offering Altmetrics

Services offering alternative metrics include: