Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Apr 04, 2025)
Date Submitted: Jan 7, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Academic Influencers and X Social Network: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of The Impact on Academic Metrics, Communication, and Influence
ABSTRACT
Background:
Background:
Social media has redefined academic communication, with X (formerly Twitter) emerging as a central platform for sharing research, fostering collaboration, and expanding the reach of science. However, the connection between social media engagement and traditional academic metrics remains underexplored.
Objective:
Objective:
This study evaluates the role of X in influencing academic impact metrics, focusing on the correlation between X engagement, Altmetric Attention Scores (AAS), citation counts, and the insights derived from the Narrative Review of Studies.
Methods:
Methods:
Data from the top 100 Altmetric articles between 2017 and 2021 were analyzed. Altmetric scores, X mentions, and citation counts were assessed, and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore year-by-year trends. The Narrative Review of Studies provides detailed contextual information, including the key characteristics of top influencers and engagement patterns across X.
Results:
Results:
A strong positive correlation was observed between X mentions and AAS across all years, with coefficients ranging from 0.673 to 0.944 (p < 0.05). The correlation between AAS and citation counts was moderate and variable, peaking at 0.504 (p < 0.05) in 2020. The Narrative Review of Studies highlights the key factors influencing these metrics, such as the expertise and geographical concentration of influencers, and the diverse interaction patterns on X. These findings underscore the complementary role of X in boosting visibility and short-term engagement while showing a weaker link to long-term academic impact.
Conclusions:
Conclusions:
Social media, particularly X, enhances the visibility of academic work and complements traditional metrics by providing immediate insights into online engagement. While Altmetric scores and X activity increased visibility, they work best alongside established measures like citation counts to provide a comprehensive understanding of research impact. Further research on multi-platform engagement is needed to clarify the broader role of social media in academic dissemination.
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Copyright
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