Increase the Visibility and Citations of Your Work
- Use an Institutional Repository – Deposit your work in an open repository such as DRUM (Digital Repository at the University of Maryland) and provide full text if permitted by the publisher.
- Submit to a Subject Repository – Examples include AgEcon Search, arXiv, RePEc, and SSRN.
- Publish in Open Access Journals – Or self-archive articles if allowed by the publisher.
- Share Your Data – See Sharing Detailed Research Data is Associated with Increased Citation Rates (PLOS ONE). Contact UMD Research Data Services for support.
- Choose Journals with Citation Tracking – For example, HighWire Press articles include a “Cited by” feature.
- Utilize Academic Social Networks – Share your work via ResearchGate, X (formerly Twitter), Slideshare, blogs, and more.
- Maintain an Online Research Profile – Create and link to profiles on ORCID ID, Researcher ID, Google Scholar Citations, and LinkedIn. Add these to university pages, CVs, and email signatures.
- Ensure Publications Are Indexed by Google Scholar – List them on personal or university webpages accessible to search engines (not behind logins like Canvas, WebCT, Blackboard, or Moodle).
- Recommend Your Work on Course Websites – Ensure access is public and not restricted by login.
- Improve Search Rankings – Increase visibility through Facebook shares, backlinks, and tweets.
- Optimize Keywords and Abstracts – Use relevant synonyms and terms from your literature review to enhance discoverability.
- Publish High-Impact Content – Thought-provoking articles, literature reviews, and research on trending topics typically receive more citations.
Suggested readings:
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].
