The journal Innovative Higher Education recently published a study delving into the value of articles featured in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) journals. The investigation employed citations and four types of altmetrics as key indicators of value, utilizing a sample of 100 articles from four prominent SoTL-focused journals: two high-consensus journals (BioScience: Journal of College Biology Teaching and The Journal of Chemical Education) and two low-consensus journals (Teaching History and Teaching Sociology). The study also examined the level of consensus across disciplines in these journals, along with the institutional type of the articles' first authors and the type of study presented.

The study yielded three significant conclusions, with one standing out as particularly noteworthy for SoTL endeavors. The foremost conclusion emphasizes that articles published in SoTL-focused journals exhibit considerable value to users, as evidenced by both citations and mentions through various altmetrics. Intriguingly, this value remains consistent irrespective of the institutional type of the article's first author or whether the article recommends a practice or content. However, the study highlights that the perceived value of articles varies based on the level of consensus within the field of the SoTL journal. This discrepancy is reflected in differences in article views, Twitter mentions, and Mendeley uses.

This study contributes valuable insights into the multifaceted dimensions of article value in SoTL journals, emphasizing the impact and relevance of such publications across diverse educational disciplines.

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10755-023-09671-8