EP 01: OVERVIEW | 2-MIN METRICS SERIES

Описание: Assessment is an inevitable part of academia. Traditional quantitative metrics such as citation
counts have played a role in complementing and supporting decision-making, particularly in the
STEM disciplines. However, so-called altmetrics have emerged as additional important indicators of research performance.

Both old and new measures of research quality and impact need to be assessed accurately and
evaluated wisely to supplement, and not replace peer review and expert opinion.

This 2 MIN METRICS series presents the basics of what you need to know. You’ll then be ready to
learn about how common measures are calculated, and how they should be used.

In this episode, we aim to give you an overview of what metrics is all about and what you need to
know to use it well. Metrics are neither good nor bad. It is important to use a metric that is
appropriate for your subject coverage, document type, and timespan.
3 things you need to know before you start:

❶ FIRST, EDUCATE YOURSELF | Work towards a basic understanding of the common metrics
available so you won’t end up with some flawed benchmarking or inaccurate comparisons.

❷ SECOND, UNDERSTAND YOUR NEEDS | Metrics can be journal-level, article-level, or author-
level. Use the right metrics to suit your needs. In some cases, presenting a range of metrics can
help you maintain a balanced research profile. For example, social sciences and humanities
researchers are increasingly using altmetrics to support their applications for grant funding or
promotion.

❸ THIRD KNOW WHAT TO COMPARE | Remember: Only compare apples with apples, and not with
oranges or pears to avoid misunderstandings. For example, citation counting will always favour
experienced researchers as they will have accumulated more outputs.

Ready to find out more? Dive into our second episode to start the next part of your metrics journey!

#metrics #researchimpact #bibliometrics #scholcomm