I think Jeffrey Beall has got this wrong. He claims that altmetrics are an “Ill-conceived and Meretricious Idea.”

On the other hand, I think Euan Adie has got this right. Here is his measured response (sorry, couldn’t resist) to Beall.

So, I come down on the meritorious side. Of course, none of this is to say that altmetrics are without flaws. But one thing they are decidedly good for is connecting academic researchers to those who read their research. That’s what scholarly communication is all about, in my book (sorry again).