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Measuring Your Research Impact

Finding the Influence of Books & Book Chapters

Locating evidence of impact for books and book chapters can be more challenging than traditional journal articles. Some recommended resources include:

Google Scholar includes citation data for most books from scholarly presses. Here's an example:

Copyrights and copywrongs: The rise of intellectual property and how it threatens creativity

Copyright reflects far more than economic interests. Embedded within conflicts over royalties 

and infringement are cultural values—about race, class, access, ownership, free speech, 
and democracy—which influence how rights are determined and enforced. Questions of … 
Cited by 1186 Related articles All 10 versions

Web of Science includes Science Book Index and Social Science and Humanities Book Index, 2005-current. From the search screen, click on 'more settings' and un-check everything except the book index you'd like to search. NOTE: Not all books are included.

Book Metric Measures

Some examples of ways to find and understand book metrics include:

  • number of libraries that own the book
    • specific libraries that own the book (prestigious, etc.)
  • whether it's on bestseller lists
  • prize(s) awarded
  • reviews
    • journals
    • newspaper
    • Amazon, Barnes & Noble, other (do you have an author page?)
  • use as a textbook (where/when?)
  • mentions on websites, social media
  • existence in various formats (ebook, print, Kindle)
  • later editions
  • translations
  • the book editor's reputation/awards
  • whether it's included in a bibliography/number of citations
  • academic or popular presentation
  • signings
  • publisher or press influence and/or reputation