Bibliometrics and Altmetrics

What are metrics?

Metrics, also known as traditional metrics or bibliometrics, are a measurement of scholarly research using quantitative methods, such as citation counts. Metrics are also used to demonstrate the impact of research publications at the journal, article, and author levels, which help faculty and researchers show the reach of their scholarship for tenure and promotion, job opportunities, and grant funding, among other things.

Altmetrics is used to refer to "alternative metrics" and are generally article-level metrics. Altmetrics attempts to fill a gap in more traditional metrics by using a more comprehensive range of sources, such as social media, news outlets, blog posts, and citation managers, in addition to citation and download counts to determine the online impact (or "attention") of scholarship.

How do I use metrics to demonstrate the impact of my scholarship?

Depending on the type of scholarly or creative work you have produced and depending on your research field, there are several options available for you. Any metric should be used with the understanding that it may not create an entirely accurate picture of the impact of your scholarship. Many metrics, for example, don't differentiate between positive and negative attention. Below are some suggestions for how you can use metrics to demonstrate the reach of your work.

• Use a mixture of qualitative and quantitative evidence to support your claims of influence, engagement, use, and impact.
• Present any quantitative data (i.e., metrics) in context and use appropriately normalized scores when possible (metrics from a reputable source).
• When comparing or benchmarking quantitative evidence, be sure you are comparing like to like. For example, article metrics may need to be compared to articles from the same discipline and publication year. Similarly, if you compare yourself to other faculty, consider choosing those in the same career stage and those employed at peer institutions.
• Choose metrics that align with the institution's values, funding agency, or other organization you apply to.

Text from this section is used under CCBY4.0 from The Metrics Toolkit.

Responsible Evaluation of Research

"There is a pressing need to improve the ways in which the output of scientific research is evaluated by funding agencies, academic institutions, and other parties.... The outputs from scientific research are many and varied, including: research articles reporting new knowledge, data, reagents, and software; intellectual property; and highly trained young scientists. Funding agencies, institutions that employ scientists, and scientists themselves, all have a desire, and need, to assess the quality and impact of scientific outputs. It is thus imperative that scientific output is measured accurately and evaluated wisely."

-- San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment, 2012

Learn more about responsible research evaluation

There are a lot of ways to measure research and evaluate scholars for their contributions to their field (such as during grant applications, hiring decisions, and tenure and promotion). Below are some recommended readings to learn more about the movement towards more responsible evaluation of scholarly and creative works.

Walking the Talk: Toward a Values-Aligned Academy A 2022 white paper by Nicky Agate, et al.

Practicing responsible research assessment A 2024 peer-reviewed article published in Research Evaluation by Alexander Rushforth and Sarah De Rijcke.

San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) A 2012 foundational statement about the need for responsible research evaluation.

The Metric Tide A 2015 foundational publication about the role of metrics in research assessment by James Wilson.

The SCOPE Framework A 2023 guide, written by the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS)

The Leiden Manifesto For Research Metrics A 2015 white paper by Hicks et al. that has become a foundational document.