"...complementary to citation-based metrics (citation counts, Journal Impact Factor, and so on)...measure the overall reach of and engagement with social media accounts) and usage statistics (which showcase only the volume of attention research has received). Altmetrics can directly measure attention...or potential impact. Some types of altmetrics data can signal that research is changing a field of study, the public’s health, or having any other number of tangible effects upon larger society. Examples of this include references in public policy documents; or commentary from experts and practitioners." [Source: http://www.whatarealtmetrics.com/what/ ]
Although there are a number of sources of altmetrics, there is no one platform that provides the entire universe of altmetric data. Some open access examples include: Research Gate, Academia.edu, Impactstory & PLOS; social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & LinkedIn; bibliographic management tools such as Mendeley & Zotero; and services such as Figshare & Slideshare. Commercial, fee-based services such as Altmetric.com, PlumX (Plum Analytics), Digital Measures, InCites & Pure also are available.
To provide a convenient way to view various types of altmetric and traditional citaiton data, Georgia Southern currently supports PlumX profiles from Plum Analytics. PlumX profiles gather traditional and non-traditional impact metrics for your work, including citations, usage, captures, and social media mentions. With this data, PlumX provides robust reports, which help you and your academic unit tell the story of your research. See below for more about PlumX profiles and reports, including our slideshow overview.
Usage – A way to signal if anyone is reading the articles or otherwise using the research. Usage is the number one statistic researchers want to know after citations.