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Scholarly Communication

This LibGuide provides information on how to navigate the changing landscape of scholarly communication

Research impact - Metrics

Research metrics are measures used to quantify the influence or impact of scholarly work. Some examples of this are bibliometrics (methods to analyze and track scholarly literature), citation analysis, and altmetrics (a more recent set of alternative methods that attempt to track and analyze scholarship through various digital media.)

 

Research metrics are used because of a desire for a quantifiable, objective means of comparing scholarship for purposes of promotion and tenure and to attract or grant funding. However, they all have weaknesses. For example, the criticism revolves around the limits of coverage of the databases used to create the metrics, failure to account for differences in scholarly output and citation rates among disciplines, and the over-reliance by administrators and funders on a single metric or on quantitative rather than qualitative metrics in judging scholarship. Another area of criticism is the inherent bias in the research metrics.

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