How can bibliometric and altmetric suppliers improve? Messages from the end-user community

Abstract

This article reports on a 2018 survey of bibliometric and altmetric practitioners – ‘Three things you want your metrics supplier to know’ – that was undertaken to better understand the practitioners’ usage of existing tools and services and to invite them to suggest ways in which they would like to see these improve. In total, 149 suggestions were made by 42 respondents, mainly UK librarians. Responses could be categorized into four main themes: A) Improve and share your data; B) Be more responsible; C) Improve your tools; D) Improve your indicators. The findings of the survey are discussed and sample comments shared. Based on these findings, and expanding on the four themes, the article makes a number of practical recommendations to metrics suppliers for ways in which their services could better serve the need of the community for robust and responsible bibliometric and altmetric evaluation.