Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Written by Donna Gibson on Mon, 02/01/2016 – 08:44
Altmetrics or attention metrics for research publications and outputs have been integrated into many of the information providers’ platforms which libraries purchase and maintain in support of the scholarly activities of their researchers and health care professionals. Social networking tools and the virtual world have definitely changed the way in which librarians are able to measure the impact, value, and influence of a research paper. But how are research or hospital administrators and senior leadership interpreting these results? Are scholars actually using the tools? Do these attention metrics help to support authors in showcasing their scientific contributions? Increase their individual network? Open doors for new collaborations or internal promotions? Impact funders and/or grant awards?
In order for any metric to have meaning, we need to have standards and best practices in how they should be used and why they should be adopted or integrated within the scholarly communication landscape.