What are publication metrics?
Publication metrics measure the number of times a publication has appeared in citations, the reference lists of other publications or holdings in libraries.
Metrics have limitations (including different citation patterns between disciplines, database coverage, self-citation rates and years covered) which mean that they can not be used as direct measures of quality.
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Preparation tips for gathering metrics include:
Approaching the task systematically, one publication title and one databases/platform at a time.
Developing meaningful folders for data management
Terms and Use
| Term | Where to use it |
| Altmetrics (or alternative metrics) | Track metrics around mentions of your work online, including social media and website analytics, media mentions or reviews, downloads or view counts. |
| Best sellers lists/copies sold information can be attained from publishers. | Best sellers lists/copies sold can be used in addition to other metrics as quantifiers of your publication's scope. |
| Book Reviews are critical evaluations of your work in scholarly journals or in the media. | Use book reviews to demonstrate scholarly reputation in your field of research and as an indication of your work's acceptance in the wider community. |
| Citation Benchmarking |
Use citation benchmarking to show how your publication citations compare with the average for other citations. Try the Compare sources tool in Scopus |
Citation Count  |
Use citation counts to show how many times your publication has appeared in the reference lists of other publications. |
| Field Weighted Citation |
Field Weighed Citation can be used to compare the number of citations received by your publication to the average received in a similar research field. |
| Grey literature is material and research produced by organizations without the purpose of being commercially published. E.g. fact sheets or blogs. | Including Grey Literature metrics in grant and promotion applications can show how your research has been included in policy or demonstrate its public use. |
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Library holdings are a count of the libraries holding copies of your book. |
Use Library Holding numbers, alongside other metrics, in promotion and grant applications, as an indication of the interest in and scope of your work. |
| Reading Lists and Syllabus | University required reading lists and inclusion in school curriculum/syllabus can speak to the educational use of your work. |
Example statements for promotion and funding applications
"Widely drawn upon by researchers internationally, this article, which has 47 Google Scholar citations, is recognized for its ground breaking contribution to the debate around human-modified landscapes"
"My article presenting issues on Mango fruit fly detection and monitoring is in the top 5% of cited articles published on Mango fruit flies between 2014-2017"
"In 2017, our paper on software simulations and heavy rail research, received an 84% higher rate of citations compared with the world average in its field"
Note: Refer to scheme-specific rules to determine what information should be included in your grant or promotion application. Funding rules change from year to year.