Skip to Main Content

How to Use Metrics in Promotion and Grants - a self-help guide: Alternative metrics

What are altmetrics?

Alternative metrics or Altmetrics provide article level metrics for research outputs, i.e. other impacts of a work, such as the number of article views, numbers of downloads, or mentions in social media and news media. They can be used to demonstrate exposure to, and engagement with, a research output.  Altmetrics can be applied to a broad range of research outputs including articles, books, presentations, videos, source code repositories, web pages, datasets etc.

You'll find more information about the different types of alternative metrics including PlumX and CRO downloads in our Research Impact guide.

Example statements

News Media

My research has had worldwide reach, and has been mentioned in 3 news outlets including the The Conversation. My research has also received 95 Twitter interactions across 10 tweets (source: PlumX, 16 December 2021)

Policy Documents

My research on XYZ, was cited in a United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition discussion paper on Water & Nutrition. (Source: PlumX, 16 December 2021)

Social Media

My research on XYZ received over 320 interactions on Facebook, 169 interactions on Twitter, and 43 captures by Mendeley readers. (Source: PlumX, 16 December 2021)

Subjects: Research Support

Charles Sturt University acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which its campuses are located, paying respect to Elders, both past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations Peoples.Acknowledgement of Country

Charles Sturt University is an Australian University, TEQSA Provider Identification: PRV12018. CRICOS Provider: 00005F.