altmetrics
nounPronunciation: /ˈæltmɛtrɪks/
Alternative metrics that measure scholarly impact through social media mentions, downloads, and online engagement rather than traditional citations.
Full Definition
Altmetrics represents a paradigm shift in measuring research impact by tracking online attention and engagement with scholarly content across diverse digital platforms. These metrics include social media shares, blog mentions, news coverage, download counts, and reference manager saves. Unlike traditional citation-based metrics that can take years to accumulate, altmetrics provide real-time indicators of research dissemination and public engagement. The field recognizes that scholarly impact extends beyond academic circles to include policy makers, practitioners, and the general public who may engage with research without formally citing it.
Plain English
New ways of measuring how much attention research gets online through social media shares, news mentions, and downloads instead of just counting academic citations.
In Editorial Context
Modern impact indicators that help editors understand how their published articles perform in digital spaces, track reader engagement patterns, and identify content that resonates with broader audiences beyond traditional academic circles.
Etymology & History
Developed in response to limitations of traditional citation metrics and the rise of social media as a platform for scholarly discourse and public engagement with research.
Initially viewed with skepticism by traditional academics but increasingly accepted as complement to rather than replacement for citation-based metrics.
Usage
"The journal's editorial dashboard now includes altmetrics alongside traditional citation data to provide a more comprehensive view of article performance and reader engagement."
Usage note: Always used as plural; individual measurements are called 'altmetric indicators' or 'altmetric scores'
Context: digital publishing, research assessment, social media analysis
Region: international
Also known as
Contrasted with
Don't confuse with
social media analytics focuses on platform performance while altmetrics specifically measures scholarly content impact