No doubt you've noticed these rainbow donuts. The number "66" was the latest altmetric score for the recent JAMA systematic review [Link] on breast cancer screenings (last viewed 11/5/15). This post provides a few essentials for understanding altmetric scores plus information about Duke University's license for Altmetric Explorer as well as a few details about tracking our publications.
Altmetrics refers to the non-traditional metrics about a publication, such as mentions by news outlets, tweets, blog references, google+ and so on.
Duke University now has a license to Altmetric Explorer (http://AltmetricExplorer.com) where we can find our individual publication altmetric scores and analysis, even track the dissemination. The database covers publications from 2013 and forward. Access to AltmetricExplorer.com requires using the Duke VPN or the Duke Network.
Basics
Historically, citations have been, and remain, the gold standard by which we measure the impact of an article. Another metric might be usage, for example, the number of downloads and number of views. With the advent of social media and digital technologies we can now measure attention within the society at large. For many, altmetrics appear complementary to a citation index.
"Impact as a Donut"
The center of the donut is the total score, one that's automatically calculated, a weighted algorithm. The factors influencing this score are the volume of mentions, the source of the mentions (a news story may count more than a re-tweet) and the author of the mentions (for example, a journal publisher).
Key point: the more colors there are around a score, the more varied the sources of attention.
GIM authors as examples
Currently, in the entire Duke University database using Altmetric Explorer, a JAMA paper has the very highest score of all, an altmetric score of "1961." This is the 2014 Evidence-based guideline for management of hypertension with Dr. Laura Svetkey as a co-author.
Apart from this paper, starting with the highest scores in GIM, we find:
Score: 434 - David Matchar “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics-2013 Update a report from the American Heart Association” Circulation
Score 368 - Peter Ubel et al “Full Disclosure-out-of-pocket costs as side effects" NEJM
Score: 257 - Maciejewski and Olsen “Association between bariatric surgery and long-term survival" JAMA
For better understanding, here's a detailed example, an analysis of a publication by Corrine Voils, PhD, in the Annals of Internal Medicine, June 2015, the "Effect of allowing choice of diet on weight loss: a randomized trial." [Link] The altmetrics score for this recent paper is "152" and we learn this is in "the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetrics."
Here's how that breaks down (See Figure 1). It's possible to mouse-over and click-through to the source of all these "mentions." For example, a click-through of the "news outlets" reveals references from the Huffington Post, Time magazine, CBS news, and the LA Times.
Something else fun: to know immediately the media reach of a paper published this week, check this website and add the altmetrics calculator to the toolbar of your web browser.
Limitations of altmetrics
It's a bit beyond the scope of this post but worth naming two limitations of altmetrics: (1) possibly too easy to game, and (2) is this real impact or just "empty buzz"?
How does Duke retrieve our publications?
Our publications retrieval comes from Elements, the publications workflow system that harvests from bibliographic databases including REACH NC. This query is viewable here, from this division website. You will be amazed at the scope of Elements and ability to identify your publications.
Further refinement can happen directly from your Scholars profile page where you will see papers possibly belonging to you but maybe not. While you are there, you are highly encouraged to update your profile.
Here are links to the tools we have at Duke so that you can check them out yourselves. These are provided by Haley Walton, Outreach Coordinator for Open Access, Office of Copyright and Scholarly Communication, Duke University Libraries.
Altmetric Explorer
www.altmetricexplorer.com
You’ll be able to see Duke’s altmetrics either on campus using the Duke network or by creating an account for yourself to use off campus. For a more detailed overview of how it works and how to set up an account, seehttps://scholarworks.duke.edu/altmetric/.
Elements
For more information of what Elements is and how it works, see https://scholarworks.duke.edu/elements/help/overview-of-elements/.
How to manage publications is described here: https://scholarworks.duke.edu/elements/help/managing-your-publications/.
Scholars @ Duke
Many of you might already know about Scholars, but here are some of the frequently asked questions about managing your profile: http://about.scholars.duke.edu/support-duke-faculty-delegates.
Haley is happy to come work one-one-one or with our faculty on Scholars, Elements, and Altmetric. Contact info: 919-660-5938, haley.walton@duke.edu
REFERENCES
- Impact as a Donut
http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bugbitten/2013/10/01/impact-as-a-donut/ - Numbers behind Numbers: The Altmetric Score and Sources Explained
http://www.altmetric.com/blog/scoreanddonut/ - Altmetrics: a manifesto
http://altmetrics.org/manifesto/ - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altmetrics - The altmetric bookmarklet
http://www.altmetric.com/bookmarklet.php
Post submitted by Martha Adams, MD