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Track the impact of your research with metrics

Sep 1, 2023By Posted in: GeneralTagged in: ,

Research metrics tools help you as a researcher to quantify and assess the quality of your research impact, publications and other research outputs. You can then use this data:

  • To promote your work
  • To highlight the significance of your contributions to your field
  • To maximise your research visibility
  • To track your impact
  • To monitor your citations

There are various metrics tools to help you do this.

Which metrics should I use?

Your choice of research metrics depends on both why you are using metrics and what you want to apply the metrics to. Some of the main research metrics and their uses are outlined below.

Metrics for authors

Metrics for authors can help you understand your output volume and performance, prominence in the field and the extent of your external and internal collaboration.

Key impact measures and metrics include:

  • Publication number
  • Total citations
  • Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)
  • Collaboration
  • Grants
  • Author citation indexes

Metrics for groups of researchers

These metrics can help you understand the research impact of a group, for example, a department within your faculty. These metrics are similar to those used for individual authors. However, they also take into account institutional-level metrics, including:

  • The University’s global rankings as reflected in the QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education Rankings and others

Metrics for journal articles and conferences

These metrics are based on where the output has been indexed. Key metrics used to assess the quality and research impact of journal articles include:

  • Citation count
  • Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)
  • Alternative metrics used to measure the use or mention of works outside academia
  • Article ranking
  • Percentiles and top percentiles
  • View and download counts
  • Inclusion on institutional course reading lists

Metrics for journals

Journal metrics indicate the prestige of a journal, taking into account a number of different factors, such as citations and number of articles. If you are trying to find a journal to publish with, considering journal performance is a good idea. Some of the key metrics used are:

  • Journal impact factor (JIF)
  • Eigenfactor (a prestige metric that considers influence across journals)
  • SCImago Journal Rank (SJR)
  • Source Normalised Impact per Paper (SNIP)
  • Journal rating lists
  • Google Scholar metrics

A final word on metrics

Metrics are incredibly useful tools but it’s always important to remember that they are not the only indicators of research quality. Have an open mind and consider your audiences!

For more information and guidance on research metrics, visit the ResearchHub.