Comparing online engagement and academic impact of dermatology research: An Altmetric Attention Score and PlumX Metrics analysis

To the Editor: The Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) and PlumX Metrics are algorithms used to measure the impact of published research through online platforms. These scoring systems aggregate data on online engagement, incorporating metrics such as number of downloads and social media shares by researchers and the general public.1Lindsay J.M. PlumX from Plum Analytics: not just Altmetrics.J Electron Resour Med Libr. 2016; 13: 8-17Crossref Scopus (31) Google Scholar,2Trueger N.S. Thoma B. Hsu C.H. Sullivan D. Peters L. Lin M. The Altmetric Score: a new measure for article-level dissemination and impact.Ann Emerg Med. 2015; 66: 549-553Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (144) Google Scholar We analyzed the AAS and PlumX scores of articles published in top dermatology journals and correlated trends between an article's online engagements and the number of citations. The top 10 general dermatology journals by impact factor were identified using the 2016 InCites Journal Citations Report. All research articles with abstracts published in these journals in 2016 were analyzed for their AAS and PlumX scores. The AAS is a weighted score calculated from the volume and source of social media mentions (Facebook, Twitter, Mendeley, etc).2Trueger N.S. Thoma B. Hsu C.H. Sullivan D. Peters L. Lin M. The Altmetric Score: a new measure for article-level dissemination and impact.Ann Emerg Med. 2015; 66: 549-553Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (144) Google Scholar,3Punia V. Aggarwal V. Honomichl R. Rayi A. Comparison of attention for neurological research on social media vs academia: an Altmetric score analysis.JAMA Neurol. 2019; 76: 1122-1124Crossref Scopus (11) Google Scholar The PlumX score expands upon AAS by further taking into account "usage" (downloads, views, etc.) and "captures" (eg, bookmarks).1Lindsay J.M. PlumX from Plum Analytics: not just Altmetrics.J Electron Resour Med Libr. 2016; 13: 8-17Crossref Scopus (31) Google Scholar Articles were categorized according to study type, design, dermatologic topic, and open access status. Correlations were determined using Spearman correlation coefficients.4Wang X. Liu C. Fang Z. Mao W. From attention to citation, what and how does Altmetrics work?.http://arxiv.org/abs/1409.4269Date accessed: November 23, 2019Google Scholar A linear regression was performed between the number of citations and each metric, with both axes in logarithmic form and values adjusted by +1. The final analysis included 1024 articles: 612 observational studies (59.8%), 288 basic science studies (21.1%), and 124 clinical trials (12.1%). The median citation, AAS, and PlumX score for all articles were 10 (interquartile range, 6-18), 1 (interquartile range, 0-5), and 73 (interquartile range, 36-141), respectively. The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology and JAMA Dermatology had the highest number of articles in the top 5% of AAS and PlumX scores. The top 5% of articles by AAS and PlumX scores that demonstrated the greatest increase in proportional interest included dermatology topics acne and psoriasis, and articles focused on lifestyle or epidemiology (Table I). We additionally found that open access articles correlated with higher AAS (21.9 vs 10.4, P < .01) and PlumX (153.0 vs 96.9, P < .01) scores, potentially due to increased visibility. A significant positive correlation was found between both AAS and 3-year citation count and PlumX and 3-year citation count (Fig 1). Using the Spearman correlation, we found that AAS more closely correlated with citations than PlumX (ρ = 0.35 for AAS vs ρ = 0.20 for PlumX; both P < .001).Table ICharacteristics of research articles with abstracts published in the top 10 dermatology journals in 2016CharacteristicAll articles (N = 1024)Top 5% of articles by AAS (n = 51, >51)Top 5% of articles by PlumX (n = 51, >441)Journals, No. (%) Acta Derm-Venereol112 (10.9)1 (2.0)23 (45.1) Am J Clin Dermatol14 (1.4)0 (0)0 (0) Br J Dermatol146 (14.3)2 (3.9)0 (0) Contact Dermatitis38 (3.7)0 (0)1 (2.0) J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol149 (14.6)0 (0)0 (0) J Am Acad Dermatol161 (15.7)13 (25.5)16 (31.3) JAMA Dermatol85 (8.3)26 (51.0)10 (19.6) J Invest Dermatol201 (19.6)9 (17.6)1 (2.0) J Dermatol Sci83 (8.1)0 (0)0 (0) Pigment Cell Melanoma Res35 (3.4)0 (0)0 (0)Citations, median (IQR)10 (6-18)18 (11-27.75)14 (7-23)Open access, No. (%)471 (46)39 (76.5)37 (71.2)Altmetric score, median (IQR)1 (0-5)152 (81.5-274.75)7 (0-217) Twitter1 (0-4)26.5 (15.25-40.25)6 (0-31) News outlet0 (0-0)17.5 (8-30.75)0 (0-19) Facebook0 (0-1)3 (1-5)0 (0-3) Mendeley14 (0-25)31 (23.25-50.75)25 (0-61)PlumX score, median (IQR)73 (36-141)257.5 (116.25-468.5)583 (502-723) Captures25 (14.25-43.75)55 (33.75-116)68 (38-129) Social media1 (0-5)37.5 (13.5-97.5)10 (0-84) Usage42 (15-88)76 (45-244.75)445 (347-576) Mentions0 (0-0)3.5 (1.25-6)0 (0-2)Dermatology topic, No. (%)∗Total >1024 because some articles pertained to >1 dermatology topic. Acne26 (2.5)5 (9.6)5 (9.8) Actinic keratosis21 (2.1)0 (0)0 (0) Cosmetics9 (.9)0 (0)0 (0) Eczema70 (6.8)2 (3.5)5 (9.8) Hair32 (3.1)2 (3.5)4 (7.8) Infectious disease39 (3.8)2 (3.5)3 (5.9) Melanoma157 (15.3)12 (23.1)5 (9.8) Nail7 (0.7)1 (1.9)0 (0) Nonmelanoma skin cancer109 (10.6)6 (11.5)5 (9.8) Psoriasis138 (13.5)10 (19.2)7 (13.7) Miscellaneous436 (42.6)14 (26.9)17 (33.3)Study design, No. (%) Basic science studies288 (21.1)8 (15.4)2 (3.9) Clinical trials124 (12.1)7 (13.5)10 (19.6) Observational studies612 (59.8)37 (71.2)39 (76.5)Article type, No. (%) Diagnosis/Outcomes271 (26.5)12 (23.1)13 (25.5) Epidemiology175 (17.1)14 (26.9)12 (23.5) Genetics125 (12.2)3 (5.8)2 (3.9) Lifestyle37 (3.6)11 (21.2)10 (19.6) Therapies195 (19.0)4 (7.7)8 (15.7) Other221 (21.6)9 (17.3)6 (11.8)AAS, Altmetric Attention Score; IQR, interquartile range; No., number.∗ Total >1024 because some articles pertained to >1 dermatology topic. Open table in a new tab AAS, Altmetric Attention Score; IQR, interquartile range; No., number. As the public increasingly turns toward online resources for health information and dermatologists increasingly use digital platforms to disseminate this knowledge,5Jia J.L. Polin D.J. Sarin K.Y. Emerging technologies for health information in dermatology: opportunities and drawbacks of web-based searches, social media, mobile applications, and direct-to-consumer genetic testing in patient care.Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2019; 38: E57-E63Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar metrics such as AAS and PlumX scores may represent novel ways to analyze a research paper's online "buzz." Notably, journals can increase AAS and PlumX scores through the use of press releases, embargoes, or social media strategies such as easy Twitter sharing links or Instagram posts. These metrics add depth to discussions of how research is shared and consumed in the digital era; however, they do not necessarily reflect on the quality of the research and serve to complement, rather than replace, traditional citation count. The data highlight the potential of using alternative metrics to measure the dissemination of dermatology research and identify fields of study that may acquire the most public interest.