ALPSP: Journal Metric Analysis and Measuring Impact

Metrics and impact measurement have become an increasingly important part of the scholarly publishing and research landscape. This course covers some of the ways publishers can measure impact and the associated metrics. It is divided between citation metrics, such as the Impact Factor and citation based analysis, and altmetrics looking at a range of tools such as altmetric.com, Impact Story and PlumX. The course also covers usage as a metric and various author and article level metrics such as the h-index. There will be break-out sessions offering extensive hands-on use of the main citation databases and altmetric data – illustrating the types of analysis which can be derived from these data sources.

You will learn to: understand and explain common citation metrics such as the Impact Factor; explain inherent differences between journals and their metrics; comprehend author level metrics such as the h-index and how these can be applied at the journal level; have a clear understanding of altmetrics and how to use them; know how to identify research receiving attention using various tools and have practical ideas on using altmetrics data; and have a view on the future direction of metrics and their role in the publishing industry. Several subscription products and free alternatives will be demonstrated.

Staff working in editorial, marketing, data analyst roles, involved in conducting or presenting the results of citation, altmetric or usage data or analysis will benefit from this course. It is suitable for those with direct responsibility for metrics or two to three years’ wider publishing expertise working in organizations large and small across all subject areas. There is a practical component best suited for those with intermediate Excel skills or similar experience.