Skip to Main Content

Research and the Library

A guide for postgraduate researchers

Research Impact

Bibliometrics 

Bibliometrics refer to quantitative methods applied to research to demonstrate its impact. Watch the 'Bibliometrics in under 2 minutes' video below (from the University of Leeds) for a brief introduction. The two most common bibliographic indicators used are the citation counts an article receives and its H-index

Bibliometric indicators can be applied at article, author or journal level. For example, H-index is an indicator linked to the author. For more information, read this introduction to author level metrics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

By contrast, journal level indicators refer to metrics such as Journal Impact Factor and Scimago Journal Rank. These measure the average number of citations an article receives over a given period. 

 

Altmetrics

Altmetrics are research indicators that compliment traditional bibliographic indicators by monitoring and recording mentions of an item online in blogs and on things like Wikipedia and social media. Watch the 'Beginners guide to Altmetrics' video below, produced by Altmetric, for a brief introduction or click here for more information on altmetrics.