Altmetrics or alternative metrics are a new generation of statistical measures used to evaluate scientific production. They appeared with the emergence of the Open science movement, as researchers started using different ways to share their work online.
These metrics measure the attention a resource generates on the web, which allows estimating research impact beyond the scholarly community. The objective of these metrics is not to replace more traditional options but rather to complement them.
You can obtain altmetric indicators directly from social bookmarking platforms such as Diigo, reference manager platforms such as Mendeley, social networks platforms such as Facebook, blogs and microblogging, online digital libraries or repositories such as Scopus or SSRN; you can also consult altmetric aggregators which harvest information from varied platforms. The most widely known free services are Altmetric.com and Impactstory.
Altmetric.com offers a free bookmarklet for researchers, and Institutional repository-embeddable badges for free.
Impactstory is a free web tool that only requires registration to produce personal reports with metrics.
They take less time to be calculated, as altmetric indicators can be measured as soon as a work becomes public.
These metrics can not always measure the impact or quality of a research: the most controversial articles are widely cited because they attract more attention, and not because of their scientific quality.
Do not forget that altmetric indicators need to be completed by the analysis of the context in which they evolve and cannot replace evaluation methods such as informed peer review. Besides, altmetrics are relatively new and more research is needed to better use them.
More information about altmetrics and research evaluation is available on our dedicated guide.
Posted on 25 March 2019 15 March 2019 by Linda LegerPosted in ToolsTagged Altmetrics, Metrics, Research impact.