"Altmetrics is the study and use of non-traditional scholarly impact measures that are based on activity in web-based environments. As scholarship increasingly moves online, these metrics track associated interactions and activity to generate fine-grained data, allowing researchers and policy makers to create a higher resolution picture of the reach and impact of academic research." (http://www.ploscollections.org/article/browseIssue.action?issue=info:doi/10.1371/issue.pcol.v02.i19)
Research Groups that offer tools dealing with alternative scholarly metrics:
"In accordance with USM Policy on Human Subjects of Research (IV - 2.10) and the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research, Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research (April 18, 1979)*, UMGC faculty, staff, and students who wish to conduct research involving human subjects must adhere to this Policy before conducting any research. Individuals external to UMGC who wish to conduct research involving UMGC faculty, staff, and/or students must also adhere to this Policy before conducting any research. The purpose of this Policy is:
to institute procedures that protect the rights and welfare of human subjects used in research, and to establish clear guidelines that support the integrity of data collection."