Altmetrics are an area of increasing interest in the library and information sector. If you don’t know what Altmetrics are, they are the alternative measurement of scholarly output, a bit like the impact factor but more social and reactive. They measure research via tools such as Twitter, Mendeley, Altmetric.com and Impact Story et al. We see them as modern channels of communication and dissemination, they go beyond the traditional models of journals and conferences. The purpose of our talk is two-fold and will showcase the technical and negotiating skills library and information professionals need to enable academics to embrace Altmetrics. We will show case studies including a department-wide trial to encourage academics to use Altmetrics and Social Media; how we have mentored internal and external partners and delivered Altmetrics workshops and talks. Most academics still haven’t heard about Altmetrics and many who have don’t know really know the benefits and challenges of using them. This talk will showcase what we are doing in ScHARR to support academics to understand more about what Altmetrics can do and to rethink how they deliver their research outputs and ideas beyond the paywalls of academic publishing to increase their impact and access a bigger audience.

1. Altmetrics:
A new role for library and information professionals
Image CC BY mkhmarketing http://bit.ly/1qwdZHC

2. What is Altmetrics?
A new way to communicate research
A new way to measure that research
Measures research we ignore - datasets etc
Goes beyond who is looking at your paper, but
where they are and what they are doing with it

3. The research process
Have an idea
Search for
research
Filter and
review the
research
Measure and
discuss the
research
Publish and
disseminate
the research

4. The research process and you
Have an idea
Search for
research
Filter and
review the
research
LIS Professionals
experts in measurement,
bibliometrics,
work in neutral role
Measure and
discuss the
research
Publish and
disseminate
the research
LIS Professionals host,
catalogue and search
published research
LIS Professionals carry out
systematic and literature
reviews from search results
LIS Professionals
experts in publishing
and communication.
OA, Social Media,
blogging

5. Do you use any of these?

6. And these?

7. Do you recognise these?

8. Appraising
Impartial
Flexible
Helpful
Networked
Centrally based
Social Media

9. What you can do
Understand
Demystify
Train
Practice what you preach
Build a case

10. #Understand
● Their way of working -
long periods doing the same thing
● Their concerns
Pressure to publish research
● Their fears
May not be used to Social Media or
technology for that matter
● How busy they are
● What they can get out of
Altmetrics
and what you can do to help them
Image CC BY Glen Edelson
http://bit.ly/1o3tFb8

11. #Demystify
● Explain that Altmetrics are not
about Justin Bieber’s Tweets to
his Beliebers
● That using tools like Altmetrics,
Mendeley, Twitter and ImpactStory
will show them where their research
is reaching globally
● Help build case studies to
show what is out there
● Show junior researchers and
students that their research and
profile will benefit
Image CC BY Sarah
http://bit.ly/ZyiXxw

12. #Train
Image CC BY Sarah
http://bit.ly/ZyiXxw
● Bite size sessions
● Workshops
● Video tutorials
● Webinars
● Hangouts
Image CC BY Michael Young
http://bit.ly/Zyk2Wh

13. The ScHARR HEDS Case Study

14. Social Media/Altmetric Case study
● Took over Chair of our Communications and
Impact (CIG) group in Feb 2014
● Wanted to get more staff using social tools to
improve research impact and engagement
● Staff want EVIDENCE
● that it works
Image by: West Midlands Police: https://www.flickr.com/photos/westmidlandspolice/
used via CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

15. Project!
● Agreed to develop a small group of staff who were
not currently using social media to promote their
research
● Gave training in Twitter
● Regular emails to inform and encourage
● Curated Twitter List to monitor their activities

16. Results!
● All of them are now tweeting at least once per fortnight
● All have gained 30+ followers
● Some are much more active, writing own tweets, MT-ing,
etc.
● But! Lots of them just retweet :0(
● But then again, its early days :0)
...Next, I begged, borrowed and stole their PPTs and
Posters...

17. Slideshare!
● ...to do a companion, comparative study on Slideshare
● Slides of posters and conference PPTs currently on
web pages also uploaded to SlideShare
● Half tweeted, half not
● Compared views for each
half of ‘trial’

18. Results!
● All slides/posters have had over 35 views in 5
months
● 70% have over 100
● Tweeted ones have average of 166 views
● Non-Tweeted ones have average of 55 views
● So these things work in
● tandem with each other!
MICHELLE PORUCZNIK ANIMATED GIF
SOURCE: porucz.tumblr.com

19. In summary
LIS Professionals are fluent in…
Using Social Media and Web 2.0 tools
Measuring quality
Understanding databases
Communicating across wide audiences
Working with academics and students

20. In summary - pep talk
You have a diverse set of skills - Don’t hide
your light under a bushel
This is an area waiting to explore - LIS
professionals are explorers
Altmetrics are just part of the jigsaw - Lot’s of
opportunities to engage

21. @andy_tattersall
@beakybeecroft