Creation of an Expert Group on Altmetrics and Contribution of the EPS
DG Research and Innovation has established an Expert Group on Altmetrics which will conduct its work over the whole of 2016.
The Expert Group will, among other:
- Categorise and review different altmetrics and their relationship to more established scientometrics
- Define the features of a ‘responsible metrics’ aimed at a responsible use of altmetrics to advance open science, able to track desirable impacts, and qualities of scientific research
- Develop an agenda for the development of such a ‘responsible metrics’
The Expert Group on Altmetrics advices DG Research and Innovation. Altmetrics is a main topic of the European Open Science Agenda which will be further developed and implemented with support of the Open Science Policy Platform (see Open Science Policy Platform)
The Expert Group wishes to receive input from altmetric practioners and individuals expert alike. The expert group will take the evidence into account in the course of their advisory work for DG Research and Innovation of the European Commission. A Call for Evidence has been launched on the EU website, which can be consulted and forwarded to colleagues.
For more information, see: https://ec.europa.eu/research/openscience/index.cfm?pg=altmetrics_eg
Contribution of the European Physical Society
The topic of bibliometry has received a great attention from the EPS. In the past, EPS, has issued a statement: http://www.eps.org/news/94765/EPS-statement-On-the-use-of-bibliometric-indices-during-assessment.htm
Moreover this issue was on the agenda of the EPS General Assembly at the beginning of 2016, where the DORA and Leiden declarations were discussed. At the last meeting of the Executive Committee, the topics of publications were also raised by some divisions, highlighting the diversity of publications approaches of different fields of physics.
The statement published by EPS mentioned the importance of peer review as the main method of assessing both the individual researcher and the impact of research institution and recommended the greatest precaution when bibliometric indexes are used.
In response to the call by the Commission, the EPS recalled these basic statements and, in view of the importance of the subject for the whole community, has offered to the Commission Experts Group to contribute to its work.
