Paper short abstract:

Development research organisations are increasingly invested in understanding how their work is used by diverse audiences. Alternative metrics of impact have grown rapidly as a way of measuring impact beyond academia. This paper will present insights on the nature and effects of these tools.

Paper long abstract:

In their pursuit to produce relevant, useful research towards sustainable development, research producers in the field are invested in understanding how their work is used by diverse audiences. As such, they are eager to develop efficient ways to measure wider societal impact, in order to inform their strategies around research focus, funding, communication and reporting. To this end, alternative metrics of impact ('altmetrics') have grown rapidly as a way of measuring impact beyond academia. This project will investigate the effects of altmetrics for a leading multilateral agency. Strongly invested in understanding how their research is utilised by users around the world, these agencies have begun to gather evidence from altmetric sources. Yet, the value of these tools is unclear and often controversial. Using a novel sociological, mixed-methods framework, this presentation will provide preliminary insights into the use of alternative metrics of impact in the global policy context. This methodological combination will allow me to chart the networks of research impact, but also, crucially, to capture the complexity of meanings and practices surrounding altmetric use, towards better utilisation of knowledge and evidence in addressing global challenges.