Altmetrics
What are altmetrics?
Altmetrics, a term coined by Jason Priem as a shortened form of "alternative metrics," is defined by Priem, Groth, & Taraborelli (2012) as "the study and use of scholarly measures based on activity in online tools and environments."¹
Altmetrics measure research impact beyond citations and traditional citation metrics. Examples of the kinds of uses and discussions of research that may be measured by altmetrics include:
- Mentions on social media like Twitter or Facebook
- Shares on research networks like ResearchGate or Academia.edu
- Discussions on blogs
- Downloads of papers from websites.
- Saves to citation managers like Zotero or Mendeley
- Recommendations on sites like F1000Prime
Altmetrics may also try to capture the impact of non-article research like blog posts, datasets, software, and code.
Where can I find altmetrics?
Library database vendors are increasingly working with commercial partners to incorporate altmetrics into their results interfaces.
For example, PlumX metrics from Plum Analytics can be found in article records in databases including EBSCOHost (2016-2021 articles only), Engineering Village, and Science Direct. Article records may be accompanied by a Plum Print, a digital badge that indicates the strength of that article's metrics in 5 categories: citations, usage, captures, mentions, and social media. Find out more at https://plumanalytics.com/learn/about-metrics/.
Example article in Engineering Village showing Plum Print.
Altmetric, a UK-based company, creates donut badges. You can find their altmetrics attached to article records in Wiley Online Library. The colors of the donut represent avenues of attention, and each article receives an Altmetric Attention Score. Read more about what Altmetric measures at: https://www.altmetric.com/about-our-data/the-donut-and-score/.
Example article in Wiley Online Library showing Altmetric icon.
Researchers also have the option to add a free Altmetric bookmarklet to their preferred browser (it works with Chrome, Firefox, and Safari). When used on a page with a DOI, the bookmarklet will pull up an Altmetric donut and metrics. Find out more and add to your browser at https://www.altmetric.com/products/free-tools/bookmarklet/.
Researchers may also be interested in compiling both traditional and alternative metrics for their own work. Learn more about some of the options for creating a profile in the Researcher Profiles guide.
Things to Consider
Researchers who champion altmetrics often suggest that they should be considered additional metrics rather than as a stand-in for traditional citation metrics. Some articles urge users to reflect on what altmetrics are measuring and why. Priem et al (2010) suggest "Researchers must ask if altmetrics really reflect impact, or empty buzz."²
If we want to quantify research impact, traditional citation metrics may not be enough. Altmetrics can be used to capture online activity surrounding research that is not captured in another article's citation.
Suggested Further Reading
Haustein, S., Bowman, T. D., & Costas, R. (2015). "Interpreting 'altmetrics': Viewing acts on social media through the lens of citation and social theories. Preprint arXiv:1502.05701. Published version in Sugimoto, C. R. (Ed). (2016). Theories of Informetrics and Scholarly Communication. DeGruyter. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uva/detail.action?docID=4426417.
Priem, J., Taraborelli, D., Groth, P., & Neylon, C. (2010). Altmetrics: A Manifesto. 26 October 2010. http://altmetrics.org/manifesto.
What Are Altmetrics? http://www.whatarealtmetrics.com/
¹ Priem, J., Groth, P., & Taraborelli, D. (2012). The Altmetrics Collection. PLoS One 7(11): e48753. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048753
² Priem, J., Taraborelli, D., Groth, P., & Neylon, C. (2010). Altmetrics: A Manifesto. 26 October 2010. http://altmetrics.org/manifesto.