How and why scholars cite on Twitter

Abstract

Scholars are increasingly using the microblogging service Twitter as a communication platform. Since citing is a central practice of scholarly communication, we investigated whether and how scholars cite on Twitter. We conducted interviews and harvested 46,515 tweets from a sample of 28 scholars and found that they do cite on Twitter, though often indirectly. Twitter citations are part of a fast-moving conversation that participants believe reflects scholarly impact. Twitter citation metrics could augment traditional citation analysis, supporting a "scientometrics 2.0."

Using Twitter™ to drive research impact: A discussion of strategies, opportunities and challenges

“…The more immediate access to credible research is certainly challenging the more traditional structures of dissemination; social media can therefore provide a vehicle for fast discovery of research for larger, more diverse audiences (Mollett et al, 2011;Jackson et al 2015;McKenna, 2015). Priem and Costello (2010) investigated scholars' attitudes and practices in relation to using Twitter™ to share citations. It was found that Twitter™ citations are uniquely conversational, yet viewed as a legitimate conduit.…”

Can alternative indicators overcome language biases in citation counts? A comparison of Spanish and UK research

“…Scholars seem to use this platform for sharing scientific information as well as to network with peers (Letierce et al 2010;Veletsianos 2012), although there are disciplinary differences (Holmberg and Thelwall 2014). Scholars also use Twitter to cite academic publications (Priem and Costello 2010;Tsou et al 2015;Weller et al 2011), sometimes reflecting intellectual impact, and there is some evidence that Twitter mentions may be an early predictor of traditional citations (Shuai et al 2012).…”

It’s All About Information? The Following Behaviour of Professors and PhD Students in Computer Science on Twitter

“…Consequently, Twitter usage during academic conferences is the focal point of several analyses (Ebner, 2009;Letierce et al, 2010;Weller et al, 2011;Wen et al, 2014). Others analysed links to scholarly articles within tweets as a form of citation and new approaches to impact assessment (Priem and Costello, 2010;Eysenbach, 2011;Weller et al, 2011). One challenge common to these approaches is the identification of scholarly content on Twitter.…”

“…Social media, such as blogs, video and presentation sharing platforms, microblogging, and social networking sites, are increasingly being used by scientists. These new media facilitate more diverse and flexible forms of communication, community development, and networking than traditional outlets (Desai et al, 2012;Eysenbach, 2011;Priem and Costello, 2010;Shema et al, 2012). Since social media are frequently public (e.g., blogs or Twitter), they also render scholarly communication more accessible to diverse audiences (Mauranen, 2013;Mortensen and Walker, 2002).…”