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In the context of your own work, altmetric data may offer possibilities for your:
To learn more about how you can capture altmetric data for individual scholarly articles, see the Finding Altmetrics tab.
On your CV or resume, consider using Altmetric data to illustrate or augment your research impact.
For example:
Citations: 4 - listed in the 98th percentile of Biology research published in 2015 on [altmetric data source].
Other impact metrics: listed on [altmetric data source] as being in the 96th percentile of papers published in [Journal name] and the 87th percentile of papers published in 2015.
International impact: according to [altmetric data source], this paper has been mentioned, bookmarked, or viewed in at least 43 countries
Paper covered by more than 100 media outlets worldwide, including The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. Recommended on 12 research blogs, putting it in the 99th percentile of Biology publications published in 2015. Was described as "a breakthrough study on examples" by prominent genetics and evolution researcher Rosie Redfield.
Always provide meaningful context for your altmetric data! Avoid relying solely on raw counts of your output's metrics. A lack of meaningful context is evident in this example:
Citations: 4 / Twitter mentions: 21 / Mendeley bookmarks: 91 / Blog mentions: 12
If it makes sense to include altmetric data in your advancement package, such as a tenure & promotion file, consider selecting metrics that showcase the types of impact you are looking to document. For example:
Did you know that some universities reference altmetric data in their T & P preparation guidelines?
Examples include:
Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI): IUPUI Chief Academic Officer's Guidelines for Preparing and Reviewing Promotion and Tenure Dossiers 2016-2017
Remember to always provide meaningful context for your altmetric data!
Wonder how researchers have incorporated altmetric data into their work?
A few examples include:
Ahmed Moustafa, American University in Cairo: This researcher includes contextual altmetrics in his promotion & tenure dossier, using a screenshot of his Impactstory profile's "highly cited", "highly discussed", and other badges.
Content and examples on this page are largely drawn from the Duke University guide Altmetrics for Researchers. Many thanks for their very practical guide!