Research Impact Tracker
Monitor citations and impact of your publications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What metrics should I track to demonstrate research impact?
Traditional metrics: (1) Citation count (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus), (2) h-index (number of papers with at least h citations each), (3) i10-index (papers with 10+ citations). Altmetrics (broader impact): social media mentions, news coverage, policy citations, downloads. Field-normalized indicators: percentile ranking in your field, journal impact factor or CiteScore. Track impact over time, not just total counts. Consider context - citations take years to accumulate. Different fields have different citation rates. Supplement metrics with narrative impact (how your work influenced practice, policy, or subsequent research). Metrics never tell the complete story.
How long does it take for research papers to accumulate citations?
Citation timelines vary by field. Typical patterns: 0-2 citations in first year after publication, 2-5 citations per year in years 2-5, then slower accumulation or plateau. High-impact papers may get 10+ citations/year. Fields differ: biomedical research cites faster than humanities. Methods papers and reviews accumulate more citations than narrow empirical studies. Highly cited papers often show slow then accelerating growth as the work gains recognition. Do not expect immediate impact - assess productivity over 3-5 year windows, not annually. Pre-prints and open access can accelerate citation by increasing visibility.