Research intelligence platforms
Answer
What are research intelligence platforms?
Research intelligence platforms are analytical tools and databases that provide insights into academic research output, influence, and trends. They collect and analyse data such as publications, citations, patents, and, in some cases, broader research outputs and mentions across online and policy platforms.
These tools are offered by both commercial providers (such as Elsevier and Clarivate) and open-source initiatives (such as OpenAlex). They are used by institutions, funders, and researchers to:
-
Evaluate research performance
-
Identify collaboration opportunities
-
Track developments across disciplines
-
Support strategic planning and benchmarking
Why should I use research intelligence platforms?
When used responsibly, research intelligence platforms can help you:
-
Gain aggregated insights: Understand research performance at individual, departmental, or institutional levels.
-
Identify collaboration opportunities: Discover key players and emerging researchers across specific disciplines or topics.
-
Track research trends: Monitor emerging areas or “hot topics” in your field.
-
Support benchmarking: Compare performance with peer institutions to identify strengths and areas for development.
Available platforms via the University of Manchester Library
Here is a summary of key research intelligence tools you can access:
Altmetric Explorer (Altmetric)
Tracks how research is shared and discussed online. Includes mentions on social media (Twitter/X, Bluesky), news outlets, blogs, Wikipedia, and more. Useful for exploring public engagement and broader impact beyond citations.
OpenAlex (Our Research)
A free and open index of over 250 million research outputs. Includes enriched metadata such as research topics, citations, and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Especially strong in humanities, non-English content, and research from the Global South.
InCites (Clarivate)
An advanced analytics platform using Web of Science data. Offers detailed insights into research productivity, impact, and collaboration.
Includes features such as:
-
Collaboration analysis, including the Collab-CNCI metric to explore how co-authorships relate to citation impact
-
Benchmarking across institutions, countries, and subject categories
📌 Contact us for help interpreting InCites data or using it for strategic analysis.
Overton.io (Overton)
A searchable database of policy documents, guidelines, and think tank publications from over 1,000 sources across 188 countries. Useful for identifying how research influences policy.
Scite
Offers Smart Citations, which show whether citations to a paper provide supporting or contrasting evidence. Helpful for understanding the context of citations and the nature of a publication’s influence.
SciVal (Elsevier)
A powerful bibliometric analysis tool built on Scopus data. Offers a wide range of indicators, including:
-
Research output and impact
-
Collaboration analysis
-
SDG metrics
-
Topic and topic cluster mapping
Supports custom reporting for faculties, schools, or individual researchers.
Scopus (Elsevier)
A comprehensive abstract and citation database covering peer-reviewed literature, conference proceedings, and patents across all disciplines. Useful for literature searches, author profiles, and citation tracking.
Web of Science (Clarivate)
A multidisciplinary research database with strong coverage across sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. Underpins the Highly Cited Researchers list and is the data source for InCites.
Need help navigating these tools?
Each platform offers unique features and strengths. The Research Indicators team is here to help you:
-
Choose the right tool for your needs
-
Understand metrics responsibly
-
Create custom reports and visualisations
📞 Contact us for tailored support.