Introducing the new responsible use guide: Using Altmetric Data Responsibly: A Guide to Interpretation and Best Practice

Rachel Miles, lead author of the guide, discusses some key points from the new Using Altmetric Data Responsibly guide, which is now added to the collection of Responsible Use Guides from the LIS-Bibliometrics Community. This guide focuses specifically on data and attention sources from the altmetrics data provider, Altmetric. Altmetric, owned by Digital Science, is …

Reddit: an important tool in the research engagement tool bag

Dennis Donathan, a Research Assistant and Data Scientist for the Public Knowledge Project, discusses a recent study he conducted on Reddit users' engagement with research outputs. His research showed that although Reddit is not typically the focus of altmetrics research, the platform can act as an informative and valuable tool in altmetrics research. In addition, …

Altmetrics as an Information Evaluation Tool

Rachel Miles, Research Impact Librarian, and Amanda MacDonald, Undergraduate Research Services Librarian, discuss how to use altmetrics as a critical evaluation tool in undergraduate and graduate instruction to trace mentions of research and delve into the context and constructs of the mentions surrounding it.  Alternative metrics (altmetrics) measure the volume of online attention to research, …

How Do Academic Librarians Use Research Impact Metrics? Guest post by Rachel Miles

Rachel Miles, Research Impact Librarian at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, summaries the results from a recent National Survey, giving an insight on how Academic Librarians are using altmetrics in the US. Altmetrics: What is going on? “There is a growing interest in altmetrics.” “Altmetrics have become the newest tool among academic librarians.” “Scholarly …

Three ways metrics vendors can improve – messages from end-users

Lizzie Gadd and Ian Rowlands report on the Lis-Bibliometrics survey of end-users around how bibliometric and altmetric suppliers might improve their services. It's fun being on the Lis-Bibliometrics Committee. We usually get together for a drink after a Lis-Bibliometrics event and talk about what worked and what didn't. Eventually conversation will drift onto the issues …