Measuring the Impact of Your Research Papers and Videos [Video]

Learn how to see how people are engaging with your research papers and research videos online.

Updated on June 14, 2016

a researcher tracking the success of their research video on youtube

Watch the video and read through the article to learn how to measure engagement with your research

To read the video's transcript, please click here.

Measure the Impact of Your Manuscript

Journal Data

There are a number of ways to find out if your paper is gaining traction. A good place to start is your journal's website. Your journal may provide the number of article views and downloads directly on your article page. Reach out to the journal editor if you need help finding this information.

Altmetric

The Altmetric bookmarklet compiles press and social media mentions for recently published articles. This tool allows you to track online conversations about your research and engage with your audience. Simply add the Altmetric It! button to your bookmarks. Then, click the button when you've navigated to a journal article of interest to see the Altmetric data.

a graph showing data as a way to track the success of your research video

Google Scholar

Google Scholar conveniently tracks citations for journal articles. You can search for your article by entering your name, affiliation, and other search criteria on the My Citations page.

the My Citations button on Google Scholar

ResearchGate and Kudos

Link up with other researchers and make your research visible through ResearchGate's online community. This site allows you to share your research and track statistics on your viewer network. Consider setting up an account on Kudos to make your video accessible to broader audiences.

View the Impact of Your Research Video

YouTube

YouTube offers several metrics for tracking your video's viewership:

  • Views: The total number of views broken down by day since the video was uploaded. Fluctuations and trends indicate video popularity. The number of views is tallied below the video.
  • Ratings: By clicking the thumbs up/down below the views, viewers can “like” or “dislike” the video. The proportions of likes/dislikes indicate how the video is perceived based on direct feedback.
  • Statistics: The video statistics over time are displayed as daily or cumulative graphs.
  • Time watched: The total number of minutes your video was viewed each day. The average view duration is displayed on the top-right of the graph.
  • Shares: The number of times the video link was shared (e.g., on social media).
the YouTube statistics button to help track the success of your video

Vimeo

Vimeo provides four metrics for tracking video performance:

  • Plays: The total number of times the video has been loaded
  • Likes: The total number of times the “like” icon has been clicked
  • Collections: The number of times your video has been added to user channels
  • Comments: Comments and feedback provided by viewers
the Vimeo metrics for tracking the success of your video

To increase viewership and get the word out about your research, share your manuscript and video widely and often!

AJE provides services for other media besides videos such as custom illustrations and research promotion.

For more information about AJE's Video Abstract service, visit our website. You can also view more videos from AJE on our YouTube channel.

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