Bibliometrics and Altmetrics: Measuring the Impact of Knowledge

Methods for increasing visibility vary by discipline. 

Suggested strategies:

1. Include publications in an open repository so google will track when you've been cited:
   • an Institutional Repository - such as the Digital Repository at the University of Maryland (DRUM) - and provide full-text of it (if publisher allows).
   • a Subject Repository - such as AgEcon Search, arXiv.org, RePEc, SSRN, etc.  
2. Publish in an Open Access journal or self-archive it (if publisher allows).
3. Publish/share data associated with your research - for more information see 
   • Sharing Detailed Research Data is Associated with Increased Citation Rates (PLOS ONE)
   • Contact UMD Research Data Services
4. Publish in an online journal with search features allowing users to find articles that cite it.  For example, see "cited by" features in Highwire Press journal articles.
5. Share publications using social networking tools such as ResearchGate, X (former Twitter), Slideshare, blogs, etc.
6. Create an online presence utilizing tools such as ORCID ID, Researcher ID, Google Scholar Citations profile, or LinkedIn and link to your profile on university webpages, vitae, and/or within email signatures.
7. List/link publications on personal websites or university webpages that are crawled by Google Scholar - specifically not behind a login screen such as that of Canvas, WebCT, Blackboard, or Moodle.  
8. List as recommended reading on a course website (but not buried behind a login).
9. Bone up on how to influence Google page rankings - Facebook shares, backlinks, and tweets are the top ways to increase page visibility in search engine result pages.
10. Keywords and abstracts play a vital role in researchers retrieving an article - especially for indexes or search engines that do not have the full-text of the article available.  Be sure to identify numerous synonyms and use terms that you used in conducting your own literature review.
11. Publish thought-provoking, critical pieces or literature reviews - these traditionally have higher citation rates as do those dealing with hot topics.

Suggested readings:

• Schilhan, L., Kaier, C., & Lackner, K. (2021). Increasing visibility and discoverability of scholarly publications with academic search engine optimization. Insights, 34(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1629/uksg.534
• Brown, A. (2016). Faculty productivity: Using social media and measuring its impact. Educase Review

For additional information specific to a given discipline, we recommend consulting senior faculty in your department.

Source: Promotion & Tenure Resource Guide. Iowa State University. Authors: Jeff Alger, Jeff Kushkowski, and Lorrie Pellack. [Accessed June, 2014].