Impact factor 2.0: Applying social network analysis to scientific impact assessment

Abstract

Social media are becoming increasingly popular in scientific communication. A range of platforms are geared specifically towards the academic community. Proponents of the altmetrics approach point out that these new media allow for new avenues of scientific impact assessment. Traditional impact measures based on bibliographic analysis have long been criticized for overlooking the relational dynamic of scientific impact. We therefore propose an application of social network analysis to researchers' interactions on an academic social networking site in order to generate new metrics of scientific impact. Based on a case study conducted among a sample of Swiss management scholars, we analyze how these new relational metrics relate to traditional, offline impact indicators as well as online communication activity and publication resonance. We conclude that a relational approach based on social network analysis may add richness and differentiation to scientific impact assessment. © 2014 IEEE.