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Research Impact

Scholarly Communications information from the Sprague Library

Understanding Impact

Research impact can be measured in a number of different ways. Two of the primary indicators are:

H-Index (for Individuals)

a measurement that ranks the output of a particular author or researcher, counting the number of publications an author (or research group) has, by how many times those articles have each been cited e.g. an author with 5 publications that have been cited 5 times each, has an H-index of 5; an author with 9 publications but each has been cited 5 times, still has an H-index of 5

Impact Factor (for Journals):

measures the average number of times the “average” article in a journal published during the previous two years has been cited in the current year (may expand beyond two years, depending on source) e.g. a journal that has had 25 articles published in 2016 and 2017, which were cited 50 times in 2018, has an Impact Factor of 2

More information on Research Metrics

Altmetrics

What are Altmetrics?

Altmetrics, or alternative metrics, refer to article-level measures such as social media activity, and media coverage.

What are PlumX Metrics?

PlumX Metrics may be visible in some Ebsco based databases available through the Sprague Library, and in Montclair State University Digital Commons. PlumX Metrics categorize metrics into 5 separate categories: Usage, Captures, Mentions, Social Media, and Citations.

Additional Citation Metrics

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