Session 2C: Impact, Influence, and Importance: An Exploration of Traditional and Alternative Article Metrics to Determine Guidelines for the Use of Scholarly Publication Metrics in Nursing

Presenters: Thane Chambers, MLIS, Faculty, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Lori Walter, MA, MLIS, Managing Editor, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, Edmonton, AB, Canada

Moderator: Susan Carroll, MS, RN-BC, Editor, Journal of Neuroscience Nursing

Date and Time: Tuesday, August 5, 3:10 pm to 4:30 pm
Location: Armory Room

Objectives:

1. Understand the role and impact of traditional citation metrics in the nursing discipline.
2. Understand the role and impact of alternative article metrics in the nursing discipline.
3. Use a variety of metrics for promotion and to appeal to authors.

Abstract: 

The productivity of research can be measured in many ways: number of publications, citation rates of articles, total amount of research grants, honors and awards bestowed, media coverage, social media sharing, and even the number of angry letters received from influential people. But the most recognized and historically important are the measures that concern journal publications. Journal articles are a form of currency in the world of academic research. The variety of metrics that can be used to measure the impact, influence, and/or importance of articles can be confusing and overwhelming, particularly when using article metrics in the nursing discipline because it sits in a strange place dwarfed by medical journals and drawing from and influencing many other fields of study.

This interactive session will be a group exploration and discussion to create best practices around supporting and using article metrics, including traditional scholarly citation metrics (e.g., impact factor) and alternative metrics, such as usage statistics, social sharing, and non-scholarly citations. After an initial description and demonstration of the various metrics associated with article publication, with an emphasis on emerging altmetrics, the presenters will facilitate an open discussion to determine best practices for supporting and using metrics in the publication of nursing articles and in their analysis, from the perspectives of nursing journal editors, nursing researchers, and nursing research support librarians. The primary goal of this session is to develop a serious conversation and useful recommendations about the role and utility of traditional and alternative metrics for nursing publications.

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Powerpoint: INANE_CHAMBERS_WALTER