An author's impact on their discipline has traditionally been measured using the number of authored academic publications and the citation counts of those publications by other researchers.
Different algorithms are used to calculate an author impact 'score' using data on their publications (refer to the page "Citations and Indexes). Tools to track Author Impact include paid databases as well as some free sources.
Journal Impact factor is used to evaluate the relative importance of a journal on its field and to measure the frequency with which the “average article” in a journal has been cited in a particular time period. Journal which publishes more review articles will get highest Impact Factors.
Alternative impact, alternative metrics (or Altmetrics), include measuring scholarship beyond traditional citations and bibliometrics (i.e., academic engagement and impact).
Examples include: mentions and citations of scholarship in news media, social media, public policy documents, patents, and online platforms such as Wikipedia, multimedia videos, open peer review platforms, blogs, and other online sources.
Alternative impact, alternative metrics (or Altmetrics), include measuring scholarship beyond traditional citations and bibliometrics (i.e., academic engagement and impact).
Examples include: mentions and citations of scholarship in news media, social media, public policy documents, patents, and online platforms such as Wikipedia, multimedia videos, open peer review platforms, blogs, and other online sources.