Learning outcomes:
- Discuss the benefits of online researcher profiles
- Compare author-level metrics
- Strategize for research dissemination
- Recognize the importance of networking
Participant questions:
The following questions were asked by participants that attended the Build Your Reputation & Expand Your Network presentation. Please click on each question to see the corresponding response.
Can I still update my ORCiD and author profiles after I graduate or am no longer affiliated with Columbia?
Yes, you can still update your ORCiD and author profiles after you graduate. Researchers can update their ORCiD profile and researcher profiles as they publish new work, start a new job at a different institution, and so on. Your ORCiD will stay with you throughout your whole research career.
Why should I create a researcher profile in Web of Science but also one in Scopus?
These databases have access to different journals and published articles. As we saw in the presentation, this means that your H-Index may be slightly different on different platforms. I personally suggest creating researcher profiles on many platforms to make your work more findable and disseminate it to a larger audience.
Are Altmetrics more impactful than traditional metrics like the H-Index when applying for jobs, tenure, etc.?
I would not say that there is one impact metric that is the end all be all. There is contention in the discourse about these metrics. There are people that love the H-Index and those that do not like it. I mentioned earlier that the H-Index tends to favor those that are further along in their research career.
Altmetrics track how many eyes there are on your article, not necessarily in a good or bad way. You could be, for example, getting a lot of negative attention on your article. While you may have a high Altmetrics score, you want to ensure you understand why it is high. With all metrics, do your due diligence to understand the why behind a particular metric.
How do I access my NCBI dashboard?
The NCBI dashboard is accessible through the National Library of Medicine.
Should I create an author profile in Google Scholar?
If you have time to maintain that profile and make it public, it can make your published work more findable. Google Scholar also automatically tracks your citation metrics. The major downside is that you must have a Google account to set up this profile.
What is the difference between author profiles created in different databases?
The different databases have access to different journals, so they will have access to differing articles. Depending on where your article is published, it may be indexed on differing platforms. This is also why we saw varying H-Indices on different platforms.
Is there any disadvantage for making the profiles?
It takes time to create and update these researcher profiles. When possible, sync your profiles with your ORCiD to help save time. On Scopus, for example, the profile is automatically updated based on articles published under your name. However, this can lead to errors, so it is good to always double check that the information on your Scopus Author Profile is accurate.
Where can I find the links to the resources mentioned in the presentation?
ORCiD:
Researcher Profiles:
Columbia Resources:
This is part 3 of 3 in the Get Pumped for Publishing Series.