Websites using Altmetric

Okay, let s break down Altmetric, covering its overview, revenue (as much as is publicly available), alternatives, pricing (as much as is public), and customer care details.

Altmetric Overview

Altmetric is a company that tracks and analyzes the online attention that research outputs receive. It s not a traditional citation index like Web of Science or Scopus. Instead, it focuses on tracking mentions of research across a much broader range of online sources, including:

• Social Media: Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, etc.
• News Outlets: Mainstream and specialist news sites
• Blogs: Academic and popular blogs
• Policy Documents: Government and organizational reports
• Wikipedia: Mentions in Wikipedia articles
• F1000: Faculty of 1000 reviews
• Other Online Platforms: Including syllabi, Q&A forums, etc.

Key Features and Benefits:

• Alternative Metrics (Altmetrics): Provides an alternative way to measure the impact and reach of research, beyond just citations.
• Real-Time Tracking: Monitors online activity in close to real time, allowing researchers to see how their work is being discussed.
• Visualizations: Offers a donut visualization representing the different sources of attention, making it easy to quickly grasp the reach.
• Data Analysis: Provides data that can be used to understand the broader impact of research, identify influential platforms, and track research trends.
• Integration: Often integrated with other research platforms and databases.
• Discoverability: Helps researchers identify other research in their fields being discussed.

Target Audience:

• Researchers: To track the impact of their work and demonstrate broader impact.
• Institutions: To monitor the research output of their faculty and understand its reach.
• Publishers: To better understand the engagement with published content.
• Funders: To assess the return on investment in research.

Revenue

Public information about Altmetric s revenue is not readily available. Altmetric is owned by Digital Science, which itself is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. As a private company, Digital Science doesn t usually disclose individual revenue figures for its portfolio companies.

However, it can be inferred that Altmetric generates revenue through:

• Subscription fees: Universities, research institutions, publishers, and funders pay for access to the Altmetric Explorer platform.
• API access: Some organizations may require API access to integrate Altmetric data into their own systems, which may have an additional cost.
• Custom reports/analysis: There might be additional fees for bespoke analyses or reporting services.

Alternatives

Several companies and tools provide similar altmetrics and research impact tracking services:

• Plum Analytics (Elsevier): Provides a broad range of metrics beyond citations, including usage, mentions, and social media activity.
• Dimensions (Digital Science): Part of the same parent company as Altmetric. While it offers citation data, it also tracks grants, clinical trials, policy documents, and patents, and provides altmetrics information.
• Scopus (Elsevier): Offers citation information and also tracks some altmetrics, such as social media mentions.
• Web of Science (Clarivate): Primarily a citation index but includes some alternative metrics data as part of its offering.
• Impactstory (OurResearch): An open-source tool providing a free version to build a personal online portfolio and track research impact.
• Figshare: A data repository that can track views and downloads as alternative metrics.
• CrossRef Event Data: Open data related to crossref DOIs, often used by other altmetric providers and tools.

Pricing

Altmetric s pricing is not publicly available and is typically determined on a case-by-case basis. It usually depends on factors such as:

• Type of Institution: Universities and large research institutions often have enterprise-level subscriptions.
• Number of Users: Smaller research groups may have smaller subscriptions based on their needs.
• Specific Features: Certain features, like API access or tailored reporting, might incur additional costs.
• Contract length: Multi-year subscriptions may come with discounts.

How to find out the specific pricing:

• Contact Altmetric Directly: The best way to obtain pricing information is to contact Altmetric s sales team through their website.
• Contact your Institution s Librarian: They are usually very familiar with the pricing of different research products.

Customer Care Details

Altmetric provides customer care and support through several avenues:

• Website Support: A Help section on their website with documentation and FAQs.
• Dedicated Account Managers: Organizations with subscriptions often have a dedicated account manager for ongoing support.
• Email Support: Users can contact the support team through email for technical and account-related issues.
• Training and Webinars: Altmetric provides training resources, including webinars and tutorials, to help users get the most out of the platform.
• Community: They might also have a user community or forum where users can share their issues, experiences, and solutions.

In Summary

Altmetric is a leading provider of altmetrics data, offering valuable insights into the online impact of research. While specific revenue and pricing information is not readily available, you can request a quote or connect with your institutional librarian to learn about their offerings. If you are looking at alternative tools, consider the competitors mentioned to help you decide on the right platform for your needs. The support channels provided by Altmetric mean it s likely to be an accessible platform for the clients they target.