Alternative metrics have yet to find acceptance within our academic community. The study was done to engage faculty and understand their perspectives about alternative metrics including discussions of their research in news media, Twitter, Wikipedia citations, and policy documents. The objective was to move beyond traditional citation metrics while recognizing the value of these new metrics.
Altmetric Explorer was used to analyze the research papers from York University with a very high Altmetric Attention Score. The presentation emphasizes how and why faculty need to look at the societal impact of their work. Recent and innovative research from the university and its coverage by news outlets and social media was analyzed. Tableau software and Altmetric Explorer were used to storify the data. New metrics to visualize the research output can showcase upcoming researchers, highlight uniqueness of the university, and also help students understand scientific research in an engaging manner.
Outcomes:
– Alternative ways of showcasing academic research
– New tools for data visualization
– Open Access to research and its importance to a university
