0. Altmetrics: A new role for library and information professionals
Image CC BY mkhmarketing

1. 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

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

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

4. Do you use any of these?

5. And these?

6. Do you recognise these?

7. Searching
Appraising
Filtering
Impartial
Flexible
Helpful
Networked
Centrally based
Indexing
Communications
Technologist
Bibliometrics
Social Media

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

9. #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

10. #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

11. #Train Bite size sessions Image CC BY Sarah Workshops
Video tutorials
Webinars
Hangouts
Image CC BY Sarah
Image CC BY Michael Young

12. The ScHARR HEDS Case Study

13. 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:
used via CC BY-SA 2.0

14. 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 s to inform and encourage
Curated Twitter List to monitor their activities

15. 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...

16. 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’

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. @andy_tattersall
@beakybeecroft