New guide provides essential insights into Altmetric 

Posted by Misha Kidambi on 17th October 2023

A comprehensive guide titled “Using Altmetric Data Responsibly: A Guide to Interpretation and Good Practice” has been published to aid librarians, practitioners, funders, and a wide array of altmetric data users navigate and comprehend altmetrics as a valuable resource beyond bibliometrics. Authored by Rachel Miles from Virginia Tech and Robyn Price from Imperial College London, this guide provides an in-depth overview on incorporating altmetrics into bibliometric practice, research analytics, and responsible decision-making.

The guide offers clear and practical advice on interpreting and interacting with Altmetric data, focusing on Altmetric’s specific datasets and tools. It addresses the responsible use of Altmetric data to prevent misuse or misinterpretation when making decisions, forming policies, and evaluating faculty members and researchers at academic institutions.

Rachel Miles, the primary author, has focused on Altmetric due to its widespread usage in the academic and research community. Altmetric is renowned for its Altmetric Donut, the badge, the Altmetric Attention Score, and more, making it a common sight for consumers of research articles.This guide extends its support to those engaged in research evaluation and analytics, contributing to responsible practices in decision-making, strategic planning, tenure and promotion decisions, and faculty and research staff evaluations.

Librarians and practitioners, when presenting Altmetric data to research administrators, can utilize this guide to enhance their analytics, interpretations, and cautionary notes. Researchers, particularly those undergoing promotion and tenure reviews, hiring decisions, and annual evaluations, can leverage this data to showcase their impact both within and beyond academia, making a significant contribution to science communication and societal engagement. 

Digital Science’s Carola Blackwood has also contributed to reviewing the content in the guide. It is available for download: https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/116448 
To learn more about Altmetric, contact the Altmetric team.

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