Altmetrics (Chapter from Beyond Bibliometrics: Harnessing Multidimensional Indicators of Scholarly Impact) [article]

Jason Priem
2015 arXiv   pre-print
This chapter discusses altmetrics (short for "alternative metrics"), an approach to uncovering previously-invisible traces of scholarly impact by observing activity in online tools and systems. I argue that citations, while useful, miss many important kinds of impacts, and that the increasing scholarly use of online tools like Mendeley, Twitter, and blogs may allow us to measure these hidden impacts. Next, I define altmetrics and discuss research on altmetric sources--both research mapping the
more » ... rowth of these sources, and scientometric research measuring activity on them. Following a discussion of the potential uses of altmetrics, I consider the limitations of altmetrics and recommend areas ripe for future research.
arXiv:1507.01328v1 fatcat:xmgq3rc5inc2nduyxvyh7p22dq