The visibility – and impact? – on the Web and within social networks: an overview of the main altmetrics tools

Abstract

The paper analyses the main available tools for the application of web metrics and altmetrics. After a brief description of the transformations occurred in scientific communication due to the Web, the article focuses on the meaning of 'impact' and 'social visibility' with regard to research assessment. The author provides a detailed overview of the most popular tools for web metrics, as well as sources and software for altmetrics. The fast-growing field of altmetrics is still unstable, thus not allowing their use for institutional purposes. However, their application in addition to traditional metrics is desirable.