This section outlines a number of alternative methods and tools for establishing a publications use influence, value or popularity. A number of tools provide metrics made possible by online social networks. Non-traditional metrics based around social media are known as Altmetrics (alternative metrics) and propose an additional or alternative way to describe the use or activity around a piece of information. Consider various measures to determine use, influence or value including library holdings, downloads, and popularity in social media.
The number of Libraries that hold a book is a general indicator of value proving there is a wide audience for the publication.
WorldCat
Use WorldCat to find the number of international libraries that hold a book:
Trove
Use Trove to find the number of Australian libraries that hold a book:
Altmetrics are generally article-level metrics based on metrics from the social web for analysing and informing scholarship. Altmetrics measure the number of times a research output gets cited, tweeted about, liked, shared, bookmarked, viewed, downloaded, mentioned, favourited, reviewed, or discussed. It harvests these numbers from a wide variety of open source web services that count such instances, including open access journal platforms, scholarly citation databases, web-based research sharing services, and social media. For example:
Plum X Metrics
PlumX Metrics are used within the NDA digital research repository, ResearchOnline@ND. They are intended to "provide insights into the ways people interact with individual pieces of research output (articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, and many more) in the online environment (Plum Analytics, 2023). Research metrics are distributed between the five categories of citations, usage, captures, mentions and social media.
Downloads, page views
Article PDF download or article view data can indicate interest or popularity. Tools that provide download information might be databases, repositories or a journal's website and include ResearchOnline@ND and PLOS journals.
Benefits of Altmetrics
Limitations of altmetrics
Activity - Use ResearchOnline@ND to find downloads, article and researcher statistics To find the number of article or paper downloads: To find other article levels statistics, including altmetrics: For a download statistics overview of specific researchers: The statistics dashboard gives a graphical overview, key figures, and most popular works. From the bottom of the page there are full reports. |