Research metrics are quantitative measures used to help assess the quality and impact of research outputs (journals, articles, books, etc). These metrics serve as indicators of impact, not necessarily impact. A journal article can be very impactful and not heavily cited.
| Types of Impact | Examples of how to Measure |
| Extent of Intellectual Impact | Traditional bibliometric (e.g., # of citations, h-index) |
| Adoption of Technology and Practices | Patents, License Agreements |
| Benefits of Society |
Alternative metrics (# of views, downloads, bookmarks, tweets, mentions) |
Adapted from Qin's Empirically Assessing Impact of Scholarly Research.
The availability of metrics for a particular output will vary on many factors, including the discipline, the type of output and available formats (print, online, print and online, or even in-person), and the age of the output.
Most metrics covered in this guide are based on citations and cited references (bibliometrics) and metrics based on online engagement (altmetrics). Qualitative information can also support or demonstrate impact, including book reviews.