Running a quick search or an advanced search in Altmetric Explorer will bring you to the search results page, which includes seven distinct tabs, each with a different focus on the attention received by research outputs:
You may also save searches, create reports based on search results, and export Altmetric Explorer data:
As the default tab for the search results page, Highlights offers an overview of the type and quantity of attention research outputs have received, including:
For example, the screenshot above shows the Highlights tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer. There are 175,562 "Total mentions" of Syracuse University research. The "Attention breakdown" indicates that social media has the greatest number of mentions of all source types. The "Top output" is Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger, which is an article in Physical Review Letters published in February 2016. Syracuse University research has been "Most mentioned by" BlackPhysicists" on X, while the National Bureau of Economic Research (as a policy source) is a close second.
With the Research Outputs tab, you can discover which research outputs have received the most attention, and the type of attention they have received. You can also select a specific source (such as Bluesky mentions) to generate a list of research outputs that have been mentioned by that source.
The Research Outputs tab can be switched from the default view, which is "View results as grid," to "View results as list." The list view features the number of universities or organizations affiliated with a research output, the research output's subject areas, the research output's supportive grants, and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) associated with the research output. Note that not every research output includes grants or SDGs. Clicking on a research output title will bring you to the research output's "Altmetric Details Page."
The screenshot above of the Research Outputs tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer features the following note: "Showing 18,451 research outputs from the results of your search query. Of those, 13,428 have been mentioned." The research output with the highest Altmetric attention score is the article Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger, published February 2016 in Physical Review Letters. This research output has "128 affiliations" (including Australian National University, Monash University, University of Melbourne, and University of Adelaide); "2 subject areas" ("51 Physical Sciences" and "5101 Astronomical Sciences"); and "76 supportive grants" (including grant numbers ST/J000019/1 and ST/10006242/1).
Using the "Sort by" dropdown menu, research outputs can be sorted by "Altmetric Attention Score" (an indicator of the amount of attention received) or "Publication date."
Under "Sources" in the "Sort by" dropdown menu, you can filter to a source mentioning a research output. The "Sources" filters are:
The "Number of mentions" filters in the "Sort by" dropdown menu are:
For details about the Altmetric Attention Score, the Altmetric Details page, saving your search, or downloading data from the Research Outputs tab, visit the following:
The Timeline tab shows you the type and number of mentions research outputs have received over time.
View "All Types" of mentions or select one or more mention source types. Multiple types may be selected by holding down the CTRL key on a PC or Command key on a Mac while selecting mention source types:
Select one of the following options to view mentions over these periods of time:
Using the slider underneath the timeline, you can click into different years for the selected period of time. You can also adjust the slider to reflect a custom time frame.
To download the timeline image as a PNG, click on the three lines (aka hamburger menu) in the upper right corner of the timeline.
Hovering your cursor over a bar on the timeline will display the number and type of mentions for that period of time. Clicking on a bar on the timeline will bring you to the Mentions page, which has details about the mentions for that timeframe.
For example, the screenshot above of the Timeline tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer features the note: "Showing mentions (excluding YouTube) over time for 18,451 research outputs in your search query." The selected mention types are "News" (21,678 mentions), "Policy" (4,783 mentions), and "Patent" (4,789 mentions). The time range is July 2018 thru May 2025. The cursor is over "July 2023" on the timeline, displaying the note "Mentions for July 2023: 803 News mentions, 35 Policy mentions, 15 Patent mentions."
For details about saving your search or downloading timeline data, visit the following:
The Demographics tab offers a view of the global reach of research outputs by showing where in the world research outputs have been mentioned.
Five mention sources are covered:
Only one mention source may be selected at a time.
A summary note appears when a source is selected. For example, this is the summary note for "News" mentions for research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University: "There have been 21,692 news stories about this content by 18,357 unique news outlets in 98 specified countries."
A chart lists the total number of mentions and number of unique users/outlets by country for the selected mention source.
A map of the world shows the distribution of mentions for the selected mention source. Hovering your cursor over a country will display the number of mentions and unique users/outlets for that country. Clicking on a country on the map or in the chart will bring you to the Mentions page, which has mentions details.
To download the map as a PNG, click on the three lines (aka hamburger menu) in the right corner of the map.
For example, the screenshot above of the Demographics tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer features the note: "There have been 21,692 news stories about this content by 18,357 unique news outlets in 98 specified countries." The cursor is over India on the map, displaying the note "India: 1,034 (4.8%) Total news stories, 901 (4.9%) Unique news outlets."
For details about saving your search or downloading data from the Demographics tab, visit the following:
On the Mentions tab, you can learn what is being written and shared about research by viewing and filtering the individual mentions of research outputs.
For example, the screenshot above of the Mentions tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer has been filtered to "All News Stories" from the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" and features the note: "Showing 2,419 mentions (from 2,245 individual posts) of research outputs from the results of your search query."
For example, the screenshot above shows an individual mention (a Bluesky post) on the Mentions page for a research output included in results for the Altmetric Explorer search "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University." Clicking on "Bluesky post by Zebrafish Rock! (@zebrafishrock.bsky.social)" will bring you to the post on Bluesky. Clicking on the title "Specific mitotic events drive left-right organizer development" (under "Cites the following from your search query") will bring you to the "Altmetric Details Page" for that research output. Clicking "Show" under "Also cites 1 other output" will reveal the title of another research output mentioned in the Bluesky post. Clicking on the title "The people behind the papers - Yan Wu, Yiling Lan and Heidi Hehnly" will bring you to that research output's "Altmetric Details Page."
To filter by mention source type, open the dropdown menu under "Add source," then select one or more source types:
For example, the screenshot above shows the Altmetric Explorer "Add source" dropdown menu on the Mentions page with "All Policy Documents," "All Peer Reviews," and "All Faculty Opinion Posts" selected.
To find mentions from a particular source or by a certain social media handle, enter the source name (e.g., BBC News) or handle (e.g. @jat-nata.bsky.social) and select the source or handle from the automatically generated list. Multiple sources and social media handles may be added.
For example, the screenshot above shows that the Bluesky social media handle @sscratsage.bsky.social has been added to the "Add source" search box and "new york times" has been typed in the search box, generating a list of New York Times news outlets and social media pages.
A date range can be entered using the date fields.
Mentions may be limited to a particular country by entering the country's name in the "Add country" field and then selecting the country from the automatically generated list. Multiple countries may be added.
For example, the screenshot above shows that Kenya has been added to the "Add country" search box and the letters "br" have been typed in the search box, generating a list of countries that contain the letters "br."
After making your search selections remember to click "Apply."
To remove all search selections made on the Mentions tab, click "Reset."
To view only mentions from internationally recognized mainstream news sources, click "Show Highlights Only."
For details about saving your search or downloading data from the Mentions tab, visit the following:
The Mention Sources tab highlights the sources that have mentioned the research outputs in your search results most frequently. Sources are listed in descending order, with the sources with the most number of mentions at the top of the list.
For example, the screenshot above of the Mentions Sources tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer has been filtered to "All Policy Sources" from the "United States of America" and features the note: "Showing 75 mention sources with 2,326 mentions of research outputs from the results of your search query." The listed "Policy sources" include the "National Bureau of Economic Research (711 mentions)," "World Bank (579 mentions)," "National Academies Press (283 mentions)," and the "Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (168 mentions)."
Clicking on "Show recent mentions" in a search result will display the first three most recent mentions from that source. Clicking on "View All Mentions" will bring you to the Mentions tab for that particular source.
For example, the screenshot above of the Mentions Sources tab for "Exploring data for all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" in Altmetric Explorer has been filtered to "All Policy Sources" from the "United States of America." "Show recent mentions" has been clicked next to the "Policy source" "National Bureau of Economic Research (711 mentions)," showing the first three most recent mentions from that source.
To filter by mention source type, open the dropdown menu under "Add source," then select one or more source types:
For example, the screenshot above shows the Altmetric Explorer "Add source" dropdown menu on the Mentions Sources tab with "All Policy Sources" and "All Clinical Guidelines" selected.
A date range can be entered using the date fields.
Mentions sources may be limited to a particular country by entering the country's name in the "Add country" field and then selecting the country from the automatically generated list. Multiple countries may be added.
For example, the screenshot above shows that Kenya has been added to the "Add country" search box and the letters "br" have been typed in the search box, generating a list of countries that contain the letters "br."
After making your search selections remember to click "Apply."
To remove all search selections made on the Mentions Sources tab, click "Reset."
For details about saving your search or downloading data from the Mentions Sources tab, visit the following:
The Journals tab offers a comparison table of journal mention counts. The comparison table shows the mention counts by source type (e.g., News, Bluesky, Patents) of the research outputs (such as articles) published in specific journals or from specific collections (such as FigShare or the Social Science Research Network).
To view the mention counts of all research outputs (such as articles) published in one or more journals (or from specific collections, such as FigShare or the Social Science Research Network), remember to clear your search. Once you have cleared your search, the search bar will display the note "Exploring data for all research outputs."
The comparison table on the Journals tab shows journals (and collections, such as FigShare or the Social Science Research Network) in descending order by the number of mentions of research outputs (such as articles).
A column in the comparison table shows the "Total Mentions" of research outputs published in a specific journal (or from a specific collection, such as FigShare or the Social Science Research Network). Other columns show the following source type mention counts of research outputs published in a specific journal or by a specific collection:
Clicking on a column header will sort the comparison chart by that column in descending/ascending order.
Clicking on a journal title or collection name will bring you to the Research Outputs tab for that journal or collection.
To filter to one or more journal titles (or collections, such as Figshare or the Social Science Research Network), type part of the journal title or collection name in the "Search Journals and Collections" box (above the comparison table).
For example, the screenshot above shows "academy of management" in the "Search Journals and Collections" box on the Journals tab, generating a list of journal titles that include the words "academy of management," such as the "Academy of Management Journal" and "Academy of Management Discoveries."
To compare specific journals, collections, or publishers, go to the "Advanced search" and enter the publisher names in the "Publisher Name" field or enter the journal title or ISSN or collection name (such as Figshare or Social Science Research Network) in the "Journal or Collection" field.
For example, the screenshot above shows the "American Academy of Management" and "The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences" in the "Publisher Name" field on the "Advanced Search" page.
The screenshot below shows the list of journals from those publishers (such as "Management Science" and the "Academy of Management Journal") on the Journals tab journal comparison table.
After you search in Altmetric Explorer and then click on the Journals tab, the journals comparison table will reflect your search results. This means that the count of research outputs published in specific journals or collections will be based on the keywords and other limiters selected in your search. To view the full count of research outputs and mentions on the Journals tab, remember to clear your search. (See instructions above on how to "View Journals Comparison Table for Mention Counts of All Research Outputs.")
The screenshot above serves as an example of how keywords and other search limiters affect the journals comparison table on the Journals tab. A search for "all research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University" will show, on the journals comparison table, a list of journals and collections in descending order by the number of research outputs in those journals or collections that have been authored (or coauthored) by a Syracuse University affiliated individual. The "Total Mentions" and other columns counting mentions from different source types (such as "News Mentions" and "Bluesky Mentions") show the mention counts of Syracuse University authored (or coauthored) research outputs from specific journals and collections, rather than counting all the research outputs, and mentions of all those research outputs, from the listed journals and collections.
For details about saving your search or downloading data from the Journals tab, visit the following:
Saving your search can help you quickly rerun your search later. Saving a search is also the starting point for emailing reports and creating shareable reports.
Save your search by clicking "Save Search," which is featured on each of the search results page tabs (Highlights, Research Outputs, Timeline, Demographics, Mentions, Mention Sources, Journals). 
Please note that any changes you make on a tab, such as selecting certain source types (e.g., News, Policy, and Patents) on the Timeline tab, will be preserved when you save your search.
Find your saved searches by clicking on the star in the left sidebar.
To run a saved search, click on the name of the saved search. If you would like to rename a saved search (e.g., Syracuse University Publications), click on the green pencil icon under "Actions" next to a saved search.
If you would like one of your saved searches to run automatically every time you login to Altmetric Explorer, click on the checkbox in the "Set Default" column next to that saved search.
Setting up email reports can help you regularly track the attention research outputs are receiving. On the "Saved Searches" page, you can select "Daily Email," "Weekly Email," or "Monthly Email" to receive an emailed report based on your saved search. To receive a sample report, click on the blue arrow under "Actions."
The sample monthly report I received shows the total mentions received by research outputs affiliated with Syracuse University, the number of new mentions in the past month, and research outputs with the most mentions in the past month. The links in a report will bring you to the relevant Altmetric Explorer pages for more details about mentions and research outputs.
There are many reasons and places to share a report that show the attention your research (or your colleagues' or institution's research) is receiving. For instance, you could share your report on your department page, on your website, or include the link in your CV or promotion portfolio—anywhere you want to highlight the attention received by research.
Click on "Shareable Report" on the "Saved Searches" page to create or edit a shareable report.
By default, reports are private and contain the following standard sections:
Clicking on "Edit" within a report will allow you to change the title of the report, change the order of sections, and remove or add sections.
The following report sections can also be edited:
After you have made your changes, remember to click "Save Changes."
On the report page, you can select "Make public?" so that those who do not have access to Altmetric Explorer may view the live (continually updated) report.
After you select "Make public?" and then click "Save Changes," the "Share report" option (where you may copy and share the report URL) will be listed at the top of your report.
For a static version of the report, you can click on "Print Report" and then print the report or print to PDF.
If you are interested in creating your own analyses using Altmetric Explorer data, export options are available. Data from Altmetric Explorer may be downloaded as a CSV or opened in API. These export options are available for the Research Outputs, Timeline, Demographics, Mentions, Mention Sources, and Journals tabs. The Highlights tab is the only tab that cannot be exported.
Export a tab by going to "Export this Tab" and then clicking on one of the following export options:
Please note that any sorting order or filters you have applied on a particular tab will be preserved when you export that tab.
You will only be able to export up to 1,000,000 rows to your CSV spreadsheet. If you need to export more rows, you may want to use the API option instead.
To ensure that the CSV spreadsheet file you have downloaded from Altmetric Explorer can be correctly opened in Microsoft Excel, please follow these steps:
The Altmetric Explorer API provides access to all research outputs and attention data from Altmetric Explorer. It allows you to use basic coding skills to integrate Altmetric data (including custom queries) into websites, dashboards, visualizations, and reports.