How do I access and use Altmetric Explorer?
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What is Altmetric Explorer?
Altmetric Explorer is a web-based tool that tracks and analyses online attention and engagement with research outputs. It helps researchers, institutions, and funders understand:
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Who is talking about a piece of research;
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How often it is being discussed;
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What is being said about it.
The platform collects data from a wide range of online sources, including:
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Social media (e.g. Twitter/X, BlueSky, Facebook);
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News outlets and blogs;
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Policy documents;
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Wikipedia;
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Mendeley;
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YouTube and other online platforms.
You can use Altmetric Explorer to explore engagement with:
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Journal articles;
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Books and book chapters;
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Datasets.
Why use Altmetric Explorer?
Altmetric Explorer provides a valuable complement to traditional citation metrics by helping you:
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Track early-stage or non-academic engagement;
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Identify influential audiences interacting with your work;
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Collect evidence for impact narratives, funding applications, or promotion cases;
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Discover where your research is being referenced in media or policy.
Please note: Altmetrics should be interpreted carefully and used alongside traditional metrics and qualitative evidence, in line with responsible metrics principles.
How do I access Altmetric Explorer?
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Visit the Altmetric Explorer login page
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Log in using your University email address (you will be prompted to create an account if it’s your first time)
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You can use the Continue as a Guest option if you do not wish to register an account
If you have trouble accessing the platform, contact the Office for Open Research.
How do I use Altmetric Explorer?
Altmetric provides a wide range of user guides and tutorials to help you get started:
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Altmetric Resource Library: Explore specialist topics like social media tracking, promoting research online, and understanding attention scores.
Searching for University of Manchester content?
Altmetric Explorer supports multiple ways to search and filter results. If you're looking specifically for University of Manchester research outputs, there are two recommended search methods:
1. Use the “My Institution only” filter
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This filter connects Altmetric Explorer to data in the University’s Pure (CRIS) system.
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It returns results for outputs that have been uploaded to Pure and matched with Altmetric data.
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To use it, simply check the “My Institution only” box when building your search.
Please note: This method depends on outputs being added to Pure. If an article hasn’t been uploaded yet by the author or admin, it may not appear in this search.
2. Search by affiliation using the GRID filter
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Use the “Affiliation (GRID)” filter and enter: 'University of Manchester'
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This method searches outputs where Manchester is listed in the affiliation metadata of the article itself—regardless of whether it has been uploaded to Pure.
Tip: Because of differences in how quickly outputs are added to Pure, we recommend trying both methods to ensure you’re seeing the fullest picture of Manchester-related content.
How does Altmetric Explorer link to Research Explorer?
Altmetric Explorer is integrated with the University’s Research Explorer system. Where available, Altmetric attention data is displayed alongside outputs in Research Explorer, giving a richer view of how research is being engaged with and discussed beyond academia.
This connection enables:
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Easier tracking of online engagement directly from institutional output records;
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A stronger foundation for internal reporting, narrative CVs, and impact case studies.
For more detailed guidance on how Altmetric Explorer connects to Research Explorer - and how to get the most from this integration, please see our guide: Using Altmetric Explorer with Research Explorer
More information
If you would like further information or support, please contact the Office for Open Research
We can help with:
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Setting up your Altmetric Explorer account;
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Interpreting and applying altmetric data;
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Building narrative evidence of research visibility and reach.