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Research Metrics Toolkit

Comparison of SciVal and Web of Science data

Following is a comparison of Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Science (Clarivate) data as at 2019:

  • 37,535 journals were indexed in Scopus (31% more), and 28,560 journal titles were indexed in Web of Science.
  • *Journal coverage for Web of Science and Scopus in Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities is low.
    • Scopus: The strongest coverage is in Biomedical Research, followed by Natural Sciences and Engineering.
    • Web of Science: The strongest coverage is in Natural Sciences and Engineering, followed by Biomedical Research.

Source: Mongeon, P & Paul-Hus, A. (2016). “The journal coverage of Web of Science and Scopus: a comparative analysis”. Scientometrics 106. 213-228. DOI: 10.1007/s11192-015-1765-5

 

Comparison Table
Features Scopus (Elsevier) Web of Science (Clarivate)
Materials Indexed
  • Active peer-reviewed journals: 23,793
  • Inactive journals (mostly predecessors of the active titles): 13,742
  • Conference papers: 8+ million
  • Books: 150,000+
  • Trade publications: 280
  • Book series: 560+
  • Patents: 39+ million
  • Active peer-reviewed journals: 20,219
  • Inactive journals (mostly predecessors of the active titles): 8,341
  • Conference papers: 10+ million
  • Books: 90,000+
Content focus
  • Arts and Humanities (included under Social Sciences)
  • Health Sciences
  • Life sciences
  • Physical Sciences
  • Social Sciences (which includes Arts and Humanities)
  • Arts and Humanities
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Life Sciences
  • Social Sciences
Time period covered 1970-present 1900-present
Author indexing Author-generated by Scopus. Edits only done by Scopus staff Author-created as part of Researcher ID. Edited by authors
Considerations
  • Broader international, non-English coverage
  • Stronger biomedical research coverage
  • Effective keyword/index term facet based on underlying databases with indexing
  • Powerful interface and more features:
    • Analyse search results: graphs by year, source (journal), author, institution affiliation, discipline, country, document type; exportable to MS Excel
    • Compare journals: compares up to 10 sources by impact metrics: number of citations, number of articles published in a year, % of articles not cited, & % of articles that are review articles, all graphed by year
    • View secondary documents, which are documents not indexed in Scopus (retrieved from the references or citations of the documents that Scopus covers).
  • In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) chose Scopus as a new data provider for its Science and Engineering Indicators report due to Scopus’ broader global coverage
  • Indexed journals have fewer coverage gaps
  • Deeper citation indexing across all content (back to 1900)
  • More options for citation analysis for institutions
  • More robust author searching - all authors from all publications are indexed, searchable and unified based on ORCID and ResearcherID profiles
  • Funding Data: 2008-present

 

Sources: Clarivate Analytics and Scopus webpages, A. Ben Wagner. (2015). A Practical Comparison of Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection (https://ubir.buffalo.edu/xmlui/handle/10477/38568); Iowa State University, LibGuides: Scopus (http://instr.iastate.libguides.com/c.php?g=120420&p=785310)

How to: Use SciVal to dig deeper into Scopus metrics and benchmark research performance

What is SciVal, and how is it related to Scopus?
SciVal is a research analytics product that uses the publications in the Scopus database as its dataset. It provides a wide range of research metrics and the ability to create reports, compare, and benchmark many different types of entities. You will need to create a login (or use your existing Elsevier login for Scopus or Mendeley), as it is a dashboard-style tool with a high level of customisation. Since SciVal is based on Scopus, it is essential to ensure your Scopus Author ID is up to date and tidy and your affiliation is correct. Coverage: 1996 to present.
How to access SciVal
  1. Use your WesternAccount login to access Scopus or SciVal
  2. Also Sign in using your Elsevier personal user account as this enables you to set up and save your personal preferences. If you have an account for Scopus or ScienceDirect, this will work. If not, click on Create Account.
What's an entity?
SciVal uses the term "entity" to refer to "anything that can be viewed in SciVal in terms of academic performance". An entity can be a single researcher (or, more accurately, all the publications in SciVal for an individual researcher) or a range of different types of groups, for example:
  • Individual researchers or groups of researchers
  • Publication sets
  • Research areas
  • Institutions
  • Countries
  • The World (or all the publications in the SciVal dataset)
More information about entities.
The Overview module
Select the Overview module for a high-level view of the research performance of an entity. An entity can be an individual researcher (such as yourself), a group of researchers (you can create groups yourself), an institution, a country, a publication set, a Scopus source (i.e. a journal indexed in Scopus) or the whole World (all the publications in Scopus).
  • Use the panel on the left to find and add your entity
  • You can only view one entity at a time
  • A selection of pre-set year ranges are available, with a maximum 10-year window
  • Filter all the publications in your entity by a FOR code or other subject classification scheme.
The Benchmarking module
The Benchmarking module allows you to compare all types of entities across many metrics.
  • Use the panel on the left to find and add your entities
  • You can view multiple entities at a time
  • Choose which metrics to view and compare, and choose tables or charts
  • Flexible date ranges are available, beginning from 1996
  • Filter all the publications in your entities by a FOR code or other subject classification scheme.
Which SciVal metrics are available?

Data available from 1996 to present

SciVal and Scopus allow you to view a vast range of metrics. Some that are often used to help create a narrative around research performance (such as those listed in the Publications tab of the WSU Research Activity Statement) include:

  • [Author] Field Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI)
  • h-Index (with self-cites)
  • h-Index (without self-cites)
  • Percent of Articles Cited
  • Percent of Articles in Top 10 Percentile (Field-Weighted)

The following indicators apply to researchers. Indicators with a (B) next to them can be benchmarked against other entities. In the example statements, the red text is variable content. The italic text describes the effect of that metric to help you interpret your metrics for academic promotion and grant applications.

Exemplar statements

Download and use this Grant Metrics Report template. The exemplar statements in this guide are used to describe a research metric and the effect of that metric. Use this guide to adapt exemplar statements for the best-performing metrics you will include in your grant applications.

Group Name Indicator Name
Authorship  Indicators

Authorship indicators provide insights into authors' roles and contributions to the research publication process and are subject to the author's field of research. Include a statement about authorship order for your discipline in your grant application

Example 1: "The convention in my field is for first-named authors to be those leading the study and last-named (senior) authors to be those overseeing the study, with second, third, etc., authorships following in order of contribution."

Example 2: "In my field, both first and last authors are equally important and are the ones who contribute most to the research. Usually, the first author is the one who conducts most of the research and writes the paper, while the last author is the group leader who helps conceptualise and obtain research funds."


Authorship indicators

Corresponding author (%) (SciVal: 2014-2023): Measures the percentage of an author's publications where they are listed as the corresponding author, underscoring their essential role in managing and coordinating these studies.


Publications as first author (%) (SciVal: 2014-2023): Generally, first-author publications significantly enhance an individual's academic and professional standing, emphasising their leading role in driving these studies forward.


Publications as last author (%) (SciVal: 2014-2023): In some disciplines, last-author publications signify leadership and oversighthighlighting the author's pivotal role in guiding and supervising these studies.

Example statement (for promotions): "Of the 144 documents I published in Scopus between 2014-2023, I was positioned as last author for 51.3% of my journal articles, highlighting my pivotal role in guiding and supervising these studies (as at 1 Oct 2024)."

Citation Impact Indicators

SciVal Topic (and Prominence percentile) (%) (SciVal: 2019-2024): Indicates prominence and influence of a research topic within its field, reflecting significant academic interest and engagement, and suggesting that findings in this area are considered cutting-edge and are likely to influence further research and policy.


(B) Citations per Publication (#) (SciVal: 2019-2023): Quantifies impact of research by measuring the average number of citations each publication receives, highlighting the scholarly influence and quality of a researcher's work. IMPORTANT: In SciVal, if this ratio is 20 or above, refer to the more reliable FWCI for that field of research

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 2019-2023 in SciVal, I have an average of 76.62 cites per paper, highlighting the scholarly influence and quality of my research work (as at 1 Oct 2024)."


(B) Cited Publications (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Represents the number of author's works that have garnered citations, highlighting the impact and recognition of their individual publications within the academic community.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, 92.31% of my publications have been cited by other authors, highlighting the impact and recognition of my research within the academic community (as at 1 Oct 2024)."


Co-authored across countries by research topics (#) (Scopus: 1996-2023): Use this to count the number and distribution of co-authors from different countries by category of research, highlighting the extent of international research collaboration.

Instructions: 

  1. In Scopus, enter the name of an author or keyword, e.g., "sustainable development"

  2. On the search results page, use the "Affiliation country" filter to select specific countries

  3. Click on an author’s name to view their profile

  4. In the author profile, navigate to the "Co-authors" section to see the list of co-authors and their respective countries


Contributed to Topic Clusters (#) (SciVal: 2014-2023): Indicates an author's involvement in generating knowledge within specific thematic areas and evidence of research uptake by other disciplines, showcasing the author's impact and contributions to advancing research in targeted clusters, and emphasising their expertise and influence within defined academic domains (FoRs).

Instructions for finding this indicator:

For the number of Topic Clusters: Go to SciVal Explore tab > Research Topics (select "Topic Clusters") > Analyze all Topic Clusters of this Researcher > Tally the number of topic clusters.

For percentage of Outputs in Top 10% Citation Percentiles: Go to SciVal "Performance indicators" > Use Percentage of Outputs in Top 10% Citation Percentiles.


[Article] Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) (#) (Scopus: Year of publication plus three years): Assesses the impact of a specific research article within its field, highlighting the exceptional impact and relevance of the work in the academic community.


Number of Citing Countries (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Reflects the geographical reach of an author's work by counting the countries from which their work has been cited, demonstrating the global recognition and influence of their scholarly contributions.


(B) Outputs in Top 1% Citation Percentiles (with self-cites) (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Signifies the percentage of an author's work falling within the highest citation percentiles, highlighting the exceptional impact and influence of their research contributions in the top echelons of scholarly recognition.


(B) Outputs in Top 10% Citation Percentiles (with self-cites) (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Reflects the proportion of an author's work that attains high citation impact, emphasising the recognition of their contributions in the top tier of scholarly citations

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, 38.6% of my publications were published in the Top 10% most cited documents, emphasising the recognition of my contributions within the top tier of scholarly citations (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (#) [societal impact indicator]: Demonstrate the alignment and impact of research outputs with specific Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting contributions to global sustainability challenges. SDGs are indicators of research impact and societal relevance

Example statement: "In Scopus, my article is aligned with SDG5 Gender Equalitycontributing to a globally recognised, interdisciplinary priority, potentially increasing its relevance across diverse research areas and driving broader academic and societal engagement (as at 15 Oct 2024)."

See also: Altmetric Explorer metrics

Author Impact Indicators

Citation Count (with self-cites) (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Quantifies an author's impact by measuring the number of citations their work has received, highlighting the reach and influence of their scholarly contributions in the academic and research community. [Note: Citation count is influenced by subject area, publication type and date of publication] [Use with self-cites for emerging fields of research].


Citation Count (without self-cites) (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Quantifies an author's impact by measuring the number of citations their work has received, highlighting the reach and influence of their scholarly contributions in the academic and research community. [Note: Citation count is influenced by subject area, publication type and date of publication] [Use with self-cites for established fields of research].


Citations in Scopus [#] (Scopus): Measures the academic impact of a researcher's work by tracking how often their publications are cited by other researchers in the Scopus database.


(B) [Author] Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) (#) (SciVal: 2019-2024): Gauges an author's impact within their specific field, highlighting the researcher’s scholarly influence.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 2019-2024 in SciVal my Field-Weighted Citation Impact stands at 5.30, demonstrating the significance, influence and recognition of my work (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


g-index (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Emphasises the most highly cited publications. It assesses an author's impact by underscoring the significant impact and broad influence of the author's research, making it more sensitive to highly cited papers, reflecting both their productivity and high citation rates of their publications.


h-index (with self-cites) (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Offers a comprehensive measure of an author's impact. It considers both the quantity and influence of their publications while accounting for self-citations, underscores the significant, substantial influence of unique contributions to a novel field of study, where self-citations are necessary due to the pioneering nature of the research.


h-index (without self-cites) (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Provides a robust measure of an author's impact. It assesses the quantity and influence of their publications while excluding self-citations, reflecting its significant influence and recognition within the academic community.


h5-index (#) (SciVal): Measures the impact and productivity of an author's publications over the most recent five year period, allowing for a more current assessment of their influence in their fielddemonstrating an author's level of influence and productivity in their field.

 


m-index (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): m-index=h-index per year. It reflects the rate of scientific productivity and impact over time, highlighting the consistency and influence of their contributions to the academic community [Note: used to compare researchers in a field with very different career lengths].


Prominence Percentile (%) (SciVal: 2019-2024) (Normalised indicator]: Used to assess the influence and visibility of an author's work within their field and relative to their peersdemonstrating how well the published research is regarded and cited within the academic community. Used alongside SciVal Topic. Prominence indicates momentum and is not a quality indicator.


(B) Publications in Top 1% Journal Percentiles by SJR (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Indicates the extent to which an author's publications are present in the top 1% most cited journals in the data universe as ranked on the SJR metric, emphasising the scholarly impact and visibility of their work within high-ranking journals in their research domain

Example statement (for promotions): "Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, 23.08% of my publications were published in the Top 1% most cited journals in the data universe as ranked on the SJR metric, emphasising the scholarly impact and visibility of my work within high-ranking journals in this research domain (as at 1 Oct 2024).


Publications in Q1 Journal Quartile by SJR (%) (SciVal: 1996-Present): Measures the proportion of an author's publications in journals ranked in the top 25% (76%-100%) by SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), indicating the quality and prestige of the journals where their work is published.


Publications in Q2 Journal Quartile by SJR (%) (SciVal: 1996-Present): Reflects the proportion of author's publications in journals ranked in the second highest 25% (50%-75%) by SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), indicating a solid level of journal quality and impact.

(B) Publications in Top 10% Journal Percentiles by SJR (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023):  Indicates the extent to which an author's publications are present in the top 10% most cited journals in the data universe as ranked on the SJR metric, showcasing the scholarly impact and visibility of their work within high-ranking journals in their specific research area

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, 38.46% of my publications were published in the Top 10% most cited journals in the data universe as ranked on the SJR metric, showcasing the scholarly impact and visibility of my work within high-ranking journals in this research area (as at 1 Oct 2024).


Scholarly Output (#) (SciVal: use same period as Research Activity Statement, e.g., 2019-2024): quantifies a researcher’s output in terms of their published works within a nominated period and field of research, demonstrating their level of productivity and research contributions to the academic knowledge base. Include % All Open Access.

Collaborative Impact Indicators

(B) Academic-Corporate [Industry] Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Measures the extent of collaboration between academic institutions and corporate entitiesreflecting their active engagement in bridging the gap between academia and industry to foster knowledge exchange, innovation, and real-world applications within this field of research

Example statement (for promotions): "Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, I established 10.5% Academic-Corporate Collaborations, reflecting my active engagement in bridging the gap between academia and industry to foster knowledge exchange, innovation, and real-world applications within this field of research (as at 1 Oct 2024)."


(B) Academic-Government Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Quantifies the level of collaboration between academic institutions and government entities, offering insights into an author's research partnerships that contribute to the intersection of academic knowledge and government policy to advance knowledge, inform policy, and address critical issues facing society

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, I established 63.2% Academic-Government Collaborations, offering insights into my research partnerships that contribute to the intersection of academic knowledge and government policy to advance knowledge, inform policy, and address critical issues facing society (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


(B) Academic-Medical Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023) [For collaborations between academic institutions and medical entities]: Gauges the extent of collaboration between academic and medical entities, to foster an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to advance medical science and improve healthcare outcomes.


(B) Academic Only Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023) [For collaborations solely within academic institutions globally]: Measures the degree of collaboration among authors without industry involvement, highlighting the scholarly contributions and knowledge exchange within the academic community

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, I established 100% Academic Only Collaborations, highlighting my scholarly contributions and knowledge exchange within the academic community (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


(B) Academic-Other Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2023) [For collaborations that don't fall within the other categories (Academic-Medical or Academic-Industry/Corporate)]: Assesses collaboration between academia and non-academic entities, providing a measure of comprehensive, holistic approaches to real-life challenges and diverse contexts to bring about broader societal impact

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, I established 100% Academic-Other Collaborations, providing a measure of comprehensive, holistic approaches to real-life challenges and diverse contexts to bring about broader societal impact (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


Institutional Collaboration (%) (SciVal: 1996-2024): Highlights the extent and impact of research conducted exclusively within the institution itself, emphasising the extent of the author's internal collaboration and its contribution to the institution's research output

Instructions

In SciVal, go to the "Explore" tab. This indicator is located under "Collaboration metrics."

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2024 in SciVal, I established 100% Institutional Collaborations, emphasising the extent of my internal collaboration and its contribution to the institution's research output (as at 1 Oct 2024)."


International Collaboration (field-weighted) (%) (SciVal: 1996-2024): Highlights the impact and productivity of research conducted through collaborations with any international entities, highlighting the value and influence of the author's global partnerships in research.

Instructions

In SciVal, go to the "Explore" tab. This indicator is located under "Collaboration metrics."

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2024 in SciVal, I established 80% International Collaborations (field-weighted), highlighting the value and influence of my global partnerships in research (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


National Collaboration (field-weighted) (%) (SciVal: 1996-2024): Highlights the extent and impact of research conducted exclusively with domestic entities, emphasising the strength and contribution of the author's domestic partnerships to national research output.

Instructions

In SciVal, go to the "Explore" tab. This indicator is located under "Collaboration metrics."

Other Impact indicators

PlumX Metrics (#) [Societal Impact Indicator] (SciVal: at a point in time): Tracks the number of readers saving an article to their reference manager, indicating scholarly engagement and potential future influence through sustained interest and citation. [Use this for Mendeley readers and Policy Citations]

Example statement: " In Scopus, PlumX Mendeley reported 14 readers, indicating scholarly engagement and potential future influence through sustained interest and citation (as at 1 Oct 2024)."

Journal Impact Indicators

CiteScore (#) (Scopus Sources): Quantifies the average citation impact of all documents within a specific journal, highlighting the impact and visibility of the author's research within the academic community.


CiteScore Percentile, Quartile, Rank and ASJC Category (#) (Scopus Sources: 2013-2023): Measures relative standing of a journal in its field by ranking it against other journals, impacting its visibility and perceived prestige in academic communities.


SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) (#) (Scopus Sources): Measures the prestige and influence of a journal by considering both the number of citations it receives and the significance of the citing sources, providing a field-weighted measure of the journal's positioning as a well-regarded source in academic research.


Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) (#) (Scopus Sources): Offers a field-normalised measure of a journal's citation impact, providing insights into a publication's scholarly impact and influence relative to other journals in the same discipline.

Patent Impact Indicators

Patent-Citations Count (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Number of times a researcher's work has been cited in patents, highlighting the practical relevance and impact of an entity's work in the field

Example statement (for grants): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), my research accumulated a Patent-Citation Count of 48, highlighting the practical relevance and impact of my work in the field (as at 1 Oct 2024).’


(B) Patent-Citations per Scholarly Output (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Measures the average number of times scholarly publications (from a researcher or institution) are cited in patents, highlighting its level of influence on technological development and innovation

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1996-2023 in SciVal, my research led to a Patent-Citations per Scholarly Output ratio of 40, demonstrating a strong level of influence on technological development and innovation (as at 1 Oct 2024).”


Patents Count (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Total number of patents an entity has been granted, signifying their contribution to innovation and intellectual property.


Scholarly Output cited by Patents (#) (SciVal: 1996-2023): Measures the number of scholarly outputs that have been cited in patentsindicating the practical application and influence of their research on technological development and innovation.

© Western Sydney University, unless otherwise attributed. "Which SciVal metrics are available?" created by Lucy Walton at Western Sydney University Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 

How to: Use InCites to run a researcher report using Web of Science publication data

What is InCites, and how is it related to Web of Science?

InCites is a benchmarking and research analytics product that uses the Web of Science database publications as its dataset. It provides a wide range of research metrics and the ability to create reports, compare, and benchmark many different types of entities. You will need to register and log in (or use your existing Clarivate login for Web of Science or Endnote Online) as it is a dashboard-style tool with a high level of customisation. Since InCites is based on Web of Science, it is very important to ensure your Web of Science Researcher Profile, which provides you with a verified ResearcherID, is up to date and tidy and your affiliation is correct. Coverage: 1980 - present

How to access InCites
  1. Use your WesternAccount login to access Web of Science or InCites
  2. Also, Sign In using your Clarivate personal user account as this enables you to set up and save your personal preferences. If you have an account for Web of Science or EndNote this will work. If you don't have a personal user account, you can Register for one.
How to run a researcher report
  1. Once you have logged in to InCites, scroll down to the InCites System Reports and select Run a Researcher Report
  2. You will need to find the person you are running the report on by entering their Web of Science ResearcherID or their ORCID. You can find your ResearcherID on your Web of Science Researcher Profile (this is why it is very useful to set up and maintain a Web of Science Researcher Profile)
  3. A selection of reporting tiles are available. Choose from any of these to create a downloadable custom report.
Other ways to explore InCites
  1. Choose one of the explorers to view and filter InCites data by Researchers, Organisations, Locations, Research Areas, Publication Types, or Funding Agencies
  2. Use the filters on the left-hand side to filter for data you are interested in
  3. Change the type of graph to display your chosen entities or metrics.
Which InCites metrics are available?

Data available from 1980 to present.

The following indicators apply to researchers. Indicators with a (B) next to them can be benchmarked against other entities. In the example statements, the red text is variable content. The italic text describes the effect of that metric to help you interpret your metrics for academic promotion and grant applications.

Group Name Indicator Name
Authorship Indicators

Authorship indicators provide insights into authors' roles and contributions to the research publication process. They help improve understanding of the distribution of responsibility and credit among researchers producing scholarly work.

Authorship order depends on the author's field of research. Include a statement about this where you intend to include metrics on authorship order.

Example 1: "The convention in my field is for first-named authors to be those leading the study and last-named (senior) authors to be those overseeing the study, with second, third, etc., authorships following in order of contribution."

Example 2: "In my field, both first and last authors are equally important and are the ones who contribute most to the research. Usually, the first author is the one who conducts most of the research and writes the paper, while the last author is the group leader who helps conceptualise and obtain research funds."

The convention of first and last authorship is subject to your field of research. Where you include mention of authorship order in your application, you should also include a statement of the convention in your field for first and last author, e.g.,

In my field, the convention is for first-named authors to be those leading the study and last-named (senior) authors to be those overseeing the study, with second, third, etc., authorships following in order of contribution.

OR

In my field, the first and last authors are equally important and contribute the most to the research. Usually, the first author conducts most of the research and writes the paper, and the last is the group leader who helped conceptualise and obtain research funds.


Authorship indicators

% Corresponding Author (%) (Web of Science): Percentage of publications where the author is in reprint or corresponding position. It measures the percentage of a researcher's publications where the author is listed as the corresponding author responsible for communication with the journal, highlighting their involvement and influence in the research process.


% First Author (%) (Web of Science): Percentage of publications where the author is in first position. This position often demonstrates the author's significant contributions and leadership (Note: this is subject to the discipline's interpretation of the prestige of this position), showcasing their expertise, research contributions, and leadership in this field.


% Last Author (%) (Web of Science): Percentage of publications where the author is in the last position. This position often demonstrates the author's substantial contributions and leadership of their published work (in a senior or supervisory position). Note: This is subject to the discipline's interpretation of the prestige of this position, highlighting the author's pivotal role in guiding and supervising these research projects.

Citation-Based Indicators

Citation-based indicators are metrics used to evaluate the impact and influence of academic research based on the number of times other works cite a publication. These indicators help assess research quality, relevance, and dissemination within the academic community.


(B) % Documents Cited (%) (InCites: 1980-present): The percentage of publications in a set that have received at least one citation. It shows how other researchers in the scientific community utilise the research output produced by an entity (author, institute, country/region). You can also think of this indicator as the inverse of the number of papers that didn’t get cited. It demonstrates the sustained recognition and validation of the research within the academic community over a significant period. This is not a normalised indicator.


(B) % Documents in Q1 to Q4 Journals (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Measures the percentage of documents that appear in a journal in a particular Journal Impact Factor Quartile in a given year, e.g., Formula for Q1 journals: % of documents in Q1 Journals = (Count of Documents in Q1 Journals) / (Count of Documents in JIF Journals). This indicator underscores the quality and impact of an author's research on the academic community (Q1 journals) OR indicates the solid contribution to and impact of their research within the academic community (Q2 journals) OR reflects steady contributions and solid impact within the academic community (Q3 journals) OR indicates a wide dissemination and accessibility of the author's research within the academic community (Q4 journals). Journals ranked Q1 or Q2 are generally considered high-quality journals.

Example statement (for promotions): "Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 70.25% of my documents were published in Q1 journals, demonstrating most of my work was recognised in the most prestigious and influential journals, underscoring its high quality and significant impact on the academic community (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


(B) % Documents in Top 1% (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Percentage of publications in the top 1% based on citations by category, year and document type and for a publication window of several years. It is considered an indicator of research excellence as only the most highly cited papers would make the top one per cent in their respective field, year and document type. It demonstrates the work's elite scholarly recognition and influence within the top percentile of academic citations. Use this for large datasets. This indicator complements % Documents in the Top 10%.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 23.08% of my publications in InCites have been published in the Top 1% of documents published in the same subject category, publication type and year, demonstrating elite scholarly recognition and influence of my work within the top percentile of academic citations (as at 1 Jul 2024).”


(B) % Documents in Top 10% (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Percentage of publications in the top 10% based on citations by category, year and document type. This is considered to be an indicator of high performance as only the most highly cited papers would make the top 10 percent in their respective field, year and document type. It highlights the work's broader scholarly influence and recognition within the top decile of academic citations. Use this for small datasets. This indicator complements % Documents in Top 1%.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 38.46% of my publications in InCiteshave been published in the Top 10% of documents in the same subject category, publication type and publication year, highlighting the broader scholarly influence and recognition of my work within the top decile of academic citations (as at 1 Jul 2024).”


% Highly Cited Papers (%) (InCites and Web of Science: 1980-present): A measure of excellence. It indicates the proportion of a researcher's papers recognised as highly cited in Essential Science Indicators (ESI), emphasising the significant impact and influence of the work within the academic community (FoR).

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 23.08% of my publications are noted as ‘Highly Cited’ papers, emphasising the significant impact and influence of my work within my field of research ( as at 1 Jul 2024)."


% Hot Papers (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Top 0.1% of publications by citations for field and age assigned as Hot Papers in Essential Science Indicators (ESI) for an entity (author, institution, country or journal) signifies the percentage of a researcher's papers identified as "hot," indicating recent and rapid citation growth, highlighting the immediate and notable impact of the work within the author's field of research.

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 7.69% of my publications are identified as ‘Hot Papers’ (being in the top 0.1% of papers worldwide published in the last two years), highlighting the immediate and notable impact of my work within my field of research.”


Average Percentile (%) (InCites: 1980-present) [Normalised indicator]: Measures the average ranking of an author's publications relative to others in their field. It ranks papers within the same field, year, and document type, demonstrating the high impact and significant recognition of the author's work within the academic community. Percentile values are rounded to the second decimal place.

Example statement: "Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), my Average Percentile of 88.67% indicates that my publications consistently rank in the top 11.33% of its field, demonstrating the high impact and significant recognition of my work within the academic community (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


(B) Citation Impact (#) (InCites: 1980-present): Citation impact shows the average number of citations a document received per subject area or field. It is extensively used as a bibliometric indicator in research performance evaluation. It demonstrates the significant influence and recognition of the researcher's work within the academic community. The formula is: Citation Impact = Total number of citations divided by Total number of publications. This is not a normalised indicator.


Citation Topics (#): Categorises research articles into specific topics and measures their citation impact within those categories. It indicates that research in these areas receives significantly higher citation rates than the average. For example, an article in three topics performs at three times the global citation average, highlighting its significant influence and topical relevance within these scientific communities."

Example statement: "Between 1980-2024 in InCites, this article in "Agriculture, Environment & Ecology", "Zoology & Animal Ecology", and "Birdsong" performed at three times the global citation average, highlighting its significant influence and topical relevance within these scientific communities (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


Cited References (#): Number of references that the current record cites. It indicates that other researchers highly referenced the work, demonstrating a significant impact and influence within their field.

Example statement: "Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), this article was cited 99 times, demonstrating a significant impact and influence within my field (as at 1 Jul 2024).


Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (#): Demonstrate the alignment and impact of research outputs with specific Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting contributions to global sustainability challenges. SDGs are indicators of research impact and societal relevance.


Times Cited in All Databases (#) (Web of Science): Reflects the total number of citations a researcher's work has received across all indexed databases, indicating its influence and impact in the broader academic community.

Author-Level Indicators

Author-level metrics are indicators used to assess an individual researcher's productivity, impact, and influence based on their scholarly output. These metrics quantitatively evaluate a researcher's performance and are often used in academic assessments, promotions, and funding decisions.


(B) [Author] Category Normalized Citation Impact (CNCI) (#) (InCites: 1980-present) [Normalised indicator]: This is the average of the CNCI values for all the documents in the set/collected works of an individual, institution or country/region. It normalises per subject area or field and provides a normalised measure of a researcher's citation impact, offering a robust evaluation of their scholarly influence across diverse fields. It indicates the broader significance of their contribution to the academic community.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites,  in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), I have a Category Normalized Citation Impact (CNCI) of 5.3indicating the broader significance of my contribution to the academic community (as at 1 Jul 2024).”


h-Index (with self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): The h-index indicates a researcher’s lifetime scientific achievements at the author level. It can reveal how citations are distributed over a set of documents. It demonstrates a significant and sustained impact in their research field. Use this for new fields of research. This is not a normalised indicator.

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, my h-index (with self-cites) of 20 demonstrates a significant and sustained impact in my research field (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


h-Index (without self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): The h-index indicates a researcher’s lifetime scientific achievements at the author level, excluding self-citations. It can reveal how citations are distributed over a set of documents. Use this for established fields of research. It demonstrates a significant and sustained impact in their research field. This is not a normalised indicator.

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, my h-index (without self-cites) of 18 demonstrates a significant and sustained impact in my research field (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


Times Cited (with self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): The number of times a set of Web of Science Documents has been cited, excluding self-citations. This indicates the total influence of a set of publications and provides a quantitative measure of a researcher's impact by counting the number of times their publications have been cited. It demonstrates recognition and impact within the academic community and reflects the substantial influence and scholarly value of the work. This metric is NOT normalised to consider differing citation patterns by field or the size of an institution/entity [Use this metric for emerging fields of research].

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), my 121 publications have been cited 1,337 times (including self-cites), reflecting the substantial influence and scholarly value of my work (as at 1 Jul 2024).”


Times Cited (without self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): The number of times a set of Web of Science Documents has been cited, excluding self-citations. This indicates the total influence of a set of publications and provides a quantitative measure of a researcher's impact by counting the number of times their publications have been cited. It demonstrates recognition and impact within the academic community and reflects the substantial influence and scholarly value of the work. This metric is NOT normalised to consider differing citation patterns by field or the size of an institution/entity. [Use this metric for established fields of research].

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), my 121 publications have been cited 1,337 times (excluding self-cites), reflecting the substantial influence and scholarly value of my work (as at 1 Jul 2024).”


Web of Science Documents (#) (InCites: 1980-present): The total number of Web of Science Core Collection papers for that entity (author, institution, country/region). It measures the number of research publications indexed in the Web of Science database and the breadth and productivity of a researcher, showcasing the breadth and visibility of scholarly contributions. This count includes all document types, and it is a measure of productivity.

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), I have a total academic output of 42, showcasing the breadth and visibility of my scholarly contributions (as at 1 Jul 2024)."

Collaborative Impact Indicators

(B) % Domestic Collaborations (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Measures the percentage of research outputs co-authored with partners within the same country, demonstrating national engagement and reflecting their strong partnerships and significant influence within the domestic academic community.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, 33.49% of my Domestic Collaborations are in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), reflecting my strong partnerships and significant influence within the domestic academic community (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


(B) % Industry Collaborations (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Applies to papers that contain two or more organisations, with at least one organisation listing its organisation type as corporate or global corporate. It quantifies the proportion of a researcher's collaborations with industry, offering insights into their engagement with the private sector and highlighting the research's practical applications and potential impact on industry-driven innovation.

Example statement (for promotions): "Between 1980-2024 in InCites, 30.5% of my Industry Collaborations were in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), offering insights into my engagement with the private sector and highlighting the practical applications and potential impact of my research on industry-driven innovation (as at 1 Jul 2024)."


(B) % International Collaborations (%) (InCites: 1980-present): Applies to papers that contain one or more international co-authors. It measures the percentage of research outputs co-authored with international partners. This demonstrates extensive global engagement and a high level of cross-border academic influence, reflecting the broad reach and significant impact of the work.

Example statement (for promotions): “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), 81.18% of my International Collaborations reflecting the broad reach and significant impact of my work (as at 1 Jul 2024).”

Journal-Based Indicators (linked to Journal Citation Reports (JCR))

Journal-based indicators measure various aspects of academic journals' performance, influence, and quality. These indicators are commonly used to evaluate the impact and prestige of journals within the academic community.


Journal Impact Factor (JIF) (with self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): Quantifies the two-year average number of citations received by articles in a journal, reflecting the level of a journal's influence and prestige within the academic community. It indicates that, on average, the articles published one or two years ago have been cited X.X times. It complements the three-year window of the Journal Citation Indicator (JCI). It does not include All Web of Science Core Collection journals. Use this for new fields of research.


Journal Impact Factor (JIF) (without self-cites) (#) (InCites: 1980-present): Same as JIF but without the self-citations. Use this metric for established fields of research.


JCR Quartile, JCR Category, JCR Rank (#) (Web of Science): Used to reflect the impact and prestige of the journalpositioning the author's work among the most influential research in the(se) highly competitive field(s).


Journal Impact Factor (JIF) Rank (#) (InCites: 1980-present): “JIF Rank” indicates the position of a journal within its field based on its impact factor, signifying its influence, authority, and the impact of the research it publishes within its field. It complements the JIF Quartile.


Journal Impact Factor (JIF) Quartile (#) (InCites: 1980-present): Categorises journals into quartiles based on their impact factor indicating its level of recognition and impact within the academic community as being in the first, second, third or fourth quartile of journals. The JIF Quartile complements the JIF Rank.

Patent-Based Indicators

Citations from Patents (#) (InCites: 1980-present): Measures the number of times the research has been cited in patents, indicating that the work has influenced technological innovations and practical applications, highlighting its relevance and impact beyond academia.

Example statement: “Between 1980-2024 in InCites, in the field of Microbiology (FoR 3107), my research accumulated a Citations from Patents count of 10, highlighting its substantial relevance and impact beyond academia (as at 1 Jul 2024)."

 

© Western Sydney University, unless otherwise attributed. "Which InCites metrics are available?" created by Lucy Walton at Western Sydney University Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 

More information and instructions
  1. InCites LibGuide
  2. Web of Science and InCites training tutorial videos
  3. InCites help: Getting Started

How to: Use Altmetric Explorer to dig deeper into altmetrics

What is Altmetric Explorer?

Altmetric Explorer is a Digital Science product that tracks attention to or mentions of research outputs with an identifier (such as a DOI, ISBN, etc) in mainstream media, social media, policy, and other sources. It is an indicator of societal impact, and accompanies traditional metrics and other measures of impact and engagement (WSU staff and students only). Items are given an attention score, which appears in a circle or donut. The colours of the donut reflect the different kinds of attention. Learn more about the altmetric attention score calculation and the donut colours.

How to access Altmetric Explorer
  1. Use your WesternAccount login to access Altmetric Explorer.
  2. Follow the prompts to register or sign in using your institutional email address. You will be prompted to create or sign in with your Altmetric Explorer password.
Searching Altmetric Explorer

Searching Altmetric Explorer

The best way to get a full picture of attention to an author’s research outputs is to search Altmetric Explorer by ORCID ID or a list of identifiers, such as DOIs.

  1. Login to Altmetric Explorer. This will allow you to save searches and generate reports.
  2. Click on ‘EDIT SEARCH’. Select "Full Altmetric database".
 
Search using ORCID iD
  1. Scroll down to the ORCID search box. 
  2. Enter the author's ORCID iD. It is only possible to search by one ORCID at a time. 
  3. Click on "RUN SEARCH".
  4. Click on "SAVE SEARCH".

This search is based on the outputs in the author’s ORCID record. The author’s ORCID record must be current for the search to be comprehensive.

 
Search using subjects (for classification) (e.g., four-digit FoRs)
  1. Scroll down to the "SUBJECTS (FOR CLASSIFICATION)" box.
  2. Enter one or more subjects (e.g., "3107" or "Microbiology"). Click on each one in turn to add them to the box.
  3. Click on "RUN SEARCH".
  4. Click on "SAVE SEARCH".
 
Search using scholarly identifiers (e.g. DOI)
  1. Scroll down to the 'SCHOLARLY IDENTIFIERS' box.
  2. Copy and paste up to 25,000 scholarly identifiers, one on each line. Scholarly identifiers include DOIs, ISBNs, PubMed IDs, arXiv IDs, URNs, and URLs.  
  3. Click on "RUN SEARCH".
  4. Click on "SAVE SEARCH"
Which altmetrics are available?

Data available from October 2011 to present.

Altmetric Explorer is a tool that tracks and analyses the online activity and attention surrounding research outputs. It provides insights into how research is discussed, shared, and cited across various online platforms, including social media, news outlets, blogs, policy documents, and more. Some that are often used to help create a narrative around research performance include:

Group Name Indicator Name
Citation-Based Indicators

Citation-based indicators evaluate the impact and influence of academic research based on the number of times other works cite a publication. These indicators help assess research quality, relevance, and dissemination within the academic community.


Attention Score (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Quantifies the attention and impact of research output across various online platforms. It offers a comprehensive measure that includes social media, news, and other non-traditional sources and provides insights into the broader societal engagement with the research beyond traditional academic circles. It suggests that an individual article has achieved a certain level of influence and citation, indicating how well it is regarded within its field and its level of impact on the academic community.


Attention by Region (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Provides insights into the geographical distribution of attention to a research article, highlighting the global impact and interest in the work across different regions and contributing to a comprehensive understanding of its societal and academic influence

Example statement (for promotions): "In Altmetric Explorer, my research garnered attention from various regions: 7 from Africa, 36 from Asia, 175 from Europe, 80 from North America, 138 from Oceania, and 22 from South America, highlighting the global impact and interest in the work across different regions contributing to a comprehensive understanding of its societal and academic influence (as at 22 Oct 2024).


Policy mentions (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Reflects the engagement and influence of an author's work on policy discussions, signifying practical impact, its influence in policy-making, and application in related fields.

Impact Indicators

Article Statistics (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Provides insights into online attention and engagement with a research article, offering a comprehensive view of its impact through metrics such as views, downloads, and other online activities and contributing to the assessment of its broader reach and influence


News and Blog mentions (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Mentions quantify the media coverage and attention a research output receives from news articles and blog posts, highlighting its broader impact and visibility in the public sphere, reflecting the dissemination and societal relevance of the research


Patent mentions (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Measure various aspects of an author's influence and impact on innovation and technology development, providing insights into how academic work contributes to practical applications in industry and technological advancements.


Policy mentions (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Reflects the engagement and influence of an author's work on policy discussions, underlining their research's real-world impact and relevance in shaping and informing policy decisions


Social Media Mentions (#) (Altmetric Explorer data: Oct 2011-present): Gauges the public engagement and dissemination of a researcher's work, underscoring the broader societal impact and visibility of their research through mentions on various social media platforms

You can find more information about the Advanced Search features from Altmetric Explorer.

© Western Sydney University, unless otherwise attributed. "Which altmetrics are available?"  created by Lucy Walton at Western Sydney University Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 

How to: Find Google Scholar metrics

Which Google Scholar metrics are available?

Coverage: Data available from 2019 to the last full calendar year.

Category Google Scholar metrics
Author Impact Indicators

Citations (All) (with self-cites) (#): The number of times other articles have cited an article is a popular metric for evaluating its research impact. It signifies that the research has been referenced and utilized by X different publications or documents, demonstrating its relevance and influence within the academic community.

Instructions

Click the Cited by link in Google Scholar to display a list of articles and documents that have cited the document originally retrieved in the search. Citations is a metric listed below Cited by. This makes it possible to uncover other documents related by topic or subject to the original document.

In addition to viewing the Cited by links in Google Scholar, you can also search for "Times cited" for an article using the Web of Science database by sorting the results by Citations: highest first.


h-index (All) (with self-cites) (#): Offers a comprehensive measure of an author's impact. It considers both the quantity and influence of their publications while accounting for self-citations, reflecting its influence and recognition within the academic community.

i10-index (All) (with self-cites) (#): Indicates the number of publications that have been cited at least 10 times, including self-citations, providing a measure of the researcher's impact and productivity, including all citations, such as self-citations, across all their publications, reflecting a researcher's level of impact and productivity in their field of research.

Journal Impact Indicators h5-index (with self-cites) (#): Measures the impact and influence of a journal for articles published in the last five years that have a minimum of 10 citations, measuring both the productivity and citation impact of the journal's recent publications, demonstrating a journal's level of impact and influence in its field. See the list of journals in Google Scholar Metrics.

 

© Western Sydney University, unless otherwise attributed. "How to: Find Google Scholar metrics" created by Lucy Walton at Western Sydney University Library is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0 

© Western Sydney University, unless otherwise attributed.
Library guide created by Western Sydney University Library staff is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY)