NISO
Launches New Standards Development Projects in New Forms of Assessing Impact
& Altmetrics
Interested
participants from libraries, scholarly publishers, research funders, scholars,
university departments of academic affairs, providers of alternative metrics
data, and system providers are encouraged to contact NISO
The voting members of the National Information
Standards Organization (NISO) have approved four new projects to develop
standards for alternative assessment metrics (altmetrics). The NISO Alternative
Assessment Metrics Initiative was begun in July 2013 with funding from the
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation with a goal of building trust and adoption in new
methods of assessing impact. Phase 1 of the project, which was completed this
summer, gathered a large array of relevant stakeholder groups to identify what
areas of alternative metrics would benefit most from standards-related
developments. This input was distilled into a white paper published in June
2014, which was then presented to the NISO community to prioritize the action
items as possible NISO work items. Phase 2 of the project will be to develop
standards or recommended practices in the prioritized areas of definitions,
calculation methodologies, improvement of data quality, and use of persistent
identifiers in alternative metrics. As part of each project, relevant use cases
and how they apply to different stakeholder groups will be developed.
"Assessment
of scholarship is a critical component of the research process, impacting
everything from which projects get funded to who gains promotion and tenure,
and which publications gain prominence in their fields of inquiry,"
explains Martin Fenner, Technical Lead, PLOS Article Level Metrics, and Chair
of the NISO Alternative Metrics Initiative Steering Committee. "However,
traditional metrics that have been primarily based on print processes are
failing to keep pace with both the expanded range of research outputs produced
by scholars, and the diverse usage of these research outputs in scholarly
communication that is increasingly purely electronic. Altmetrics are
increasingly being used and discussed as an expansion of the tools available
for measuring the scholarly and social impact of research. For altmetrics to
move out of its current pilot or proof-of-concept phase, we need to develop
commonly used definitions and guidelines for appropriate collection and
reporting of data, so that organizations who wish to utilize these metrics can
adequately understand them and ensure their consistent application and meaning
across the community."
"The
NISO Alternative Assessment Steering Committee will oversee several working
groups that will be formed to develop the identified standards and recommended
practices," states Nettie Lagace, NISO Associate Director for Programs.
"For participation on these working groups, we are seeking interested
participants from all the affected stakeholders including libraries, scholarly
publishers, research funders (governmental and non-governmental), scholars,
university departments of academic affairs, providers of alternative metrics
data, and system providers who incorporate different elements of alternative
metrics in their services."
"We
expect this initiative will continue to be broadly inclusive, with
contributions from a diverse set of voices, who will be reliant on these new
metrics and resulting tools," said Todd Carpenter, NISO Executive
Director.
"In
addition to the working group members, we also will seek broader community
feedback through stakeholder interest groups. In addition, draft documents will
be made available for public comment and/or trial use before finalization and
publication. NISO will also schedule public webinars for further discussion and
training during the development process."
The
approved proposal for the Phase 2 projects as well as the Phase 1 White Paper
are available on the NISO website
Anyone interested in participating on one of the initiative's working groups
should use the online contact form
and indicate in which of the four activity area(s) you are interested.
Cynthia
Hodgson
Technical
Editor / Consultant
National
Information Standards Organization
301-654-2512
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