Course description

Research is increasingly judged by numbers — citation counts, impact factors, h-indexes, altmetrics. This course explains what these metrics are, what they really measure, and — just as important — what they do not. You will learn to read metrics critically and use them responsibly.

Who it is for

Postgraduates, researchers, and the librarians and administrators who report on research. No statistics background needed.

Learning outcomes

By the end you will be able to:

• Explain why research is measured, and the limits of doing so;
• Distinguish journal-, article- and author-level metrics;
• Interpret the h-index, impact factor and CiteScore correctly;
• Understand altmetrics and what they add;
• Apply responsible-metrics principles (DORA, Leiden) in real decisions.

Course outline

1. Why Measure Research Impact?
2. Journal-Level Metrics
3. Article & Author-Level Metrics
4. Altmetrics — Beyond Citations
5. Using Metrics Responsibly

How to study

Work through the topics in order. Each has a short lesson, a worked example, a free resource, and a hands-on “Try it” step. The course is free and open — no fees, no barriers.

Licensing & attribution

Provided free by FRELIP under CC BY 4.0; adapted in part from openly-licensed UNESCO and institutional materials.

Maintained by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.