Analysing Research on Altmetrics and Library Science Through Bibliometric and Altmetric Mapping

The current study explores the evolving landscape of research in altmetrics and library science through a combined altmetric and bibliometric analysis. A dataset of 2,958 research articles published between 2011 and 2024 was retrieved from Dimensions.ai using the keywords “Altmetrics and Library Science.” After data cleaning, altmetric analysis was conducted using the altmetric bookmarklet tool to assess altmetric attention scores and mendeley readership patterns, while bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer to visualise co-authorship networks, bibliographic coupling of documents, sources, and countries. The findings reveal a significant rise in research activity, peaking in 2021, with approximately 60 % of articles receiving altmetric attention. Mendeley emerged as the dominant engagement platform (58.72 %), while Twitter (now X) (54.97 %) remained central to research dissemination. Citation analysis confirmed a moderate correlation (0.41) between mendeley readership and citations, reinforcing its role in research visibility. Co-authorship analysis identified fragmented international collaboration, though core networks of 51 interconnected countries suggest growing scholarly engagement. The United States, United Kingdom, and China lead in research output, with varying levels of citation impact. Bibliographic coupling analysis highlights key influential works shaping the discourse on altmetrics, with Scientometrics emerging as the leading journal in this domain. These findings highlight the role of altmetrics in assessing research engagement beyond traditional citations, highlighting shifting trends in scholarly communication and global collaboration.