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Research Impact

This guide describes the different metrics and methods available to determine the impact of your research and scholarly work. This guide will also connect you with the library resources necessary to find, use, and understand the context of these metrics.

Research metrics, sometimes called bibliometrics or scientometrics, use statistical methods to analyze published materials, authors, and institutions where work is produced.  Here, the methods are grouped by the type of information they evaluate.  Use the navigation links on the side of this page to learn more about metrics designed for: 

We also provide information here about how to assess broader impacts of your work through alternative metrics, also referred to as “altmetrics.” Altmetrics are meant to complement traditional impact metrics (such as citation counts) by measuring other forms of online engagement and use of your work.

Free Sources of Metrics

Below are some quick links to some of the resources curated in this guide. Use the side level navigation to explore these resources and more.

Subscription resources provided by VCU Libraries