Abstract

Recent development of online tools based on Web 2.0 are enabling the creation of metrics on the number of users who “read”, “comment”, “tweet”, “share” or “discuss” scientific and academic papers. All these metrics are commonly known as ‘altmetrics’. Altmetrics have gained importance recently because in the field of scientific communication and evaluation they are increasingly considered a key data source for studying the ‘social impact’ of science. This progress report presents an overview of the major conceptual advances, events and projects that have occurred around altmetrics in 2014, and also reflects on possible developments and practical applications that are expected in this area in the near future.