Investigating the Indexing Status of the Iranian News Media in Altmetric.com

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

Purpose: Science journalists can play a significant role in evaluating the social impact and "altmetric" score of research published in scientific journals through their coverage in news media. This requires the indexing of news articles in altmetric databases. The present study aims to investigate the performance of Iranian science journalists in the Altmetric.com database by analyzing indexed news articles from Iranian news media.
Methodology: The data necessary for conducting this research were collected in two main stages from three databases: Altmetric.com, JCR, and Scopus. In the first stage, a dataset containing 2,972 news articles that mentioned research outputs from Iranian news media was downloaded from Altmetric.com. Next, the impact factors of the journals cited in the news articles were extracted from the JCR database. In the final stage, the list of DOIs for the research articles referenced in the news, available in the downloaded file from the previous stage, was combined using the OR operator, and a search was conducted in the advanced search section of Scopus.
Findings: The research results show that content published in eight Iranian news outlets—Fars News Agency, Iran Daily, ISNA, Tehran Times, Financial Tribune, Goya News, Tasnim, and IRNA—is indexed in the altmetrics.com database, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the media coverage on this platform. A total of 2,972 news articles from Iranian media are included in the altmetrics.com database. An examination of the types of sources reviewed reveals that Iranian news media have primarily extracted and published information from scientific journal articles, totaling 2,790 articles, or 93.88%. An analysis of the thematic coverage of these news sources indicates that out of 2,777 categorized publications, nearly one-third pertain to medical and health sciences, comprising 884 publications, or 31.83%. An analysis of the sources cited in Iranian news media reveals that science journalists in Iran tend to select topics from multidisciplinary sources. Prominent journals such as *Science* and *Nature* are among the leading references for Iranian news outlets. Furthermore, an examination of the organizational affiliations of the articles referenced in the news indicates that out of a total of 2,687 articles, only 198 (equivalent to 0.07%) were authored by researchers affiliated with Iranian universities. Science journalists in the country predominantly feature articles affiliated with the United States, with researchers from the University of Tehran receiving the most coverage among Iranian universities. An analysis of the publication dates of news articles recorded in the altmetrics.com database reveals that the highest number of indexed news articles—624 articles, accounting for 21%—was published in 2019. However, the trend of indexing news from Iranian media in the altmetrics.com database has declined since 2020.
Conclusion: The declining trend in the indexing of Iranian news media in the alt-metrics.com database over the past three years suggests that science journalists should place greater emphasis on research findings published in reputable scientific articles and journals when reporting on science news. Furthermore, the style of writing and coverage should be tailored to ensure that it can be easily identified and displayed in databases like altmetrics.com and other similar indexing platforms. The current performance of journalists and news media indicates that a substantial number of news articles reference research findings published in scientific journals (2,790 articles, or 93.88%). It is important to recognize that scientific articles are not confined to journals; they are also published in conference proceedings and various sections of books. Science journalists must be aware of these diverse sources. It is essential for science journalists to possess a comprehensive understanding of science, rather than confining their definition to specific fields such as medicine. Additionally, it is important to consider the interests of the public, as they are the readers of these news articles. Topics that resonate with the public should be prominently featured in scientific news coverage. Therefore, a science journalist must strike a balance between the credibility of the news source and the existing demand for it. The research findings in the section on the level of news coverage of domestic research indicate that, despite the high volume of scientific production in Iran, these publications have received minimal attention in the news media. The reasons for this phenomenon can be examined from two perspectives. Firstly, the findings suggest that scientific publications from the United States have received the most significant coverage in Iranian news media, which may indicate the dominance of translation in science journalism. In this manner, research findings from other countries, as reported by reputable news outlets such as CNN and BBC, are translated and published by Iranian science journalists. Additionally, the weak connection between universities and academics—who are the producers of scientific knowledge—and the news media results in a lack of awareness among science journalists regarding trends in domestic research.

Keywords

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References

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