Altmetrics metrics examine impact through online activity, shares, and mentions on social networks, based on tracking and monitoring article mentions on the internet and social networks. They complement traditional citation-based metrics and help assess the impact of a publication on the research community and beyond. Besides demonstrating research impact, altmetrics can be used as a tool for finding collaborators and gaining insights into the use of research outside academia.
There are two main sources for obtaining altmetrics:
A provider and aggregator of altmetric information offering a subscription-based tool that allows institutions to track the attention received by publications and various research outputs of researchers, departments, and research institutes on social networks and other online sources.
Although Bar-Ilan University does not have a subscription to the tool, the database offers a free tool called: Altmetric Bookmarklet for Researchers, which can be used to track the attention an article receives on the internet. The tool works only on PubMed, arXiv, and pages containing a DOI. Additionally, the publication must have at least one mention (e.g., a tweet) and must be used with browsers that the tool supports - currently only Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. |
PlumX metrics are provided by Elsevier and are available in the Scopus database for publications indexed by it. The metric provides information on how people use research outputs (articles, conferences, book chapters, etc.) online. The PlumX metric is classified into five categories: - Usage: Clicks, views, downloads, library holdings, video plays.
- Captures: Bookmarks, favorites, citation management software.
- Mentions: Blog posts, news mentions, reviews, Wikipedia mentions.
- Social Media: Likes, shares, etc.
- Citations: Citation indexes, patent citations, clinical citations, policy citations, etc.
To find the PlumX metric, search for any documents in the Scopus database and click on the View all Metrics link on the right side of the document page. You can access the PlumX metric page of a relevant article by adding the article's DOI number at the end of the following URL: https://plu.mx/a/?doi= |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Altmetrics:
- Quick and Up-to-Date: They provide a quick and up-to-date picture of research impact, almost immediately after publication, unlike traditional citation metrics, which are based on citations that accumulate slowly.
- Beyond Academia: They measure impact beyond the traditional academic world, including:
- Media and social media resonance.
- Use by policymakers.
- Impact on the general public.
- Mentions in professional blogs and news sites.
- Use in educational and teaching materials.
- Diverse Impact Metrics: They provide more diverse impact metrics, including:
- Number of downloads.
- Page views.
- Social media shares.
- Mentions in policy documents.
- Discussions in professional forums.
- Demonstrating Social and Practical Impact: They allow researchers to demonstrate the social and practical impact of their research, which is especially important in funding applications and assessing contributions to society.
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- Lack of Standardization: There is a lack of standardization among different altmetrics service providers, making consistent comparison and evaluation difficult.
- Noise and Temporary Popularity: They may be influenced by "noise" and temporary popularity, not necessarily reflecting the academic quality of the research. Media attention or virality on social networks does not necessarily indicate scientific importance.
- Sensitivity to Manipulation and Spam: They are sensitive to manipulation and spam, such as:
- Buying followers or shares.
- Using bots.
- Coordinated campaigns to increase exposure.
- Digital Accessibility and Social Media Use Biases: There are biases related to digital accessibility and social media use:
- Bias towards English-language research.
- Bias towards popular or "viral" topics.
- Geographic bias (favoring developed countries).
- Age bias (younger researchers tend to use social media more).
- Difficulty Distinguishing Positive from Negative Impact: It is difficult to distinguish between positive and negative impact - for example, an article may receive a lot of attention due to methodological issues or incorrect conclusions.
- Instability of Metrics Over Time: Social platforms may disappear, links may break, and historical data may become unavailable.
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