In today's academic environment, simply publishing an article is not enough. The author must also actively promote it, otherwise there is a risk that it will go unnoticed and, consequently, remain uncited. To avoid such a situation, however, it is important to plan a promotion strategy competently and implement it systematically. What specific steps can be taken to achieve this? Let us examine them in today's article.
What is the underlying principle for increasing an article's visibility?
How can you tell that your article is successful? One aspect that may serve as confirmation of this is not only publication in a reputable journal, but also the level of demand for it within the academic community. What demonstrates this? First and foremost, the citation rate. This indicator shows how many researchers have not merely become acquainted with the study, but have actually used it in their own research.
To increase the number of citations, an article needs to be actively promoted within the academic community. Below, we consider several strategies that can help with this.
Optimising an article's metadata for search
The easier an article is to find, the higher the probability that it will be cited. To increase visibility in databases, particularly Scopus and Web of Science, it is necessary to competently optimise the metadata – the title, abstract, keywords and DOI.
Optimisation means the competent formulation and selection of all the above-mentioned elements. What should be paid attention to?
- Title – use terms that researchers most often enter into search engines, avoiding both overly general and overly narrow, highly specialised formulations. Check whether the title contains the key concept of the topic right at the beginning, since this is what is most often used to search for an article in databases.
- Abstract – repeat the key terms from the title in the very first 1–2 sentences, since it is the abstract that is indexed by search engines and it is the abstract's text that appears in search results. Also describe all the key elements of the study – the aim, methods, main results and conclusions – clearly and in a structured manner, as this not only makes the study easier to understand but also increases the chances that the reader will proceed to the full text of the article.
- Keywords – select 5–8 words/phrases that cover both general terms of the field and highly specialised ones. Before making a final selection, check the popularity of these queries via Google Trends or consult database thesauri (a list of terms most frequently used in articles indexed in the database). This will help you choose formulations that people actually search for.
- DOI – be sure to register a DOI immediately after publication. This permanent identifier simplifies the search for the article and guarantees correct citation even if the journal's URL subsequently changes.
Academic platforms and profiles
In addition to optimising the article itself, it is important to take care of the author's profiles on academic platforms. It is often these profiles that become the starting point for researchers looking for your articles.
To reach a wider audience, you should create profiles on the following platforms:
- Google Scholar – regularly check your list of publications and merge duplicate articles, which the system sometimes recognises as separate entries. You can read more about how to prevent this at this link.
- Scopus (Scopus Author ID) – although this identifier is generated automatically after your first publication in Scopus, it is worth regularly checking that all publications and affiliations are correctly linked to your profile, in order to avoid losing citations due to the profile being mistakenly split into several IDs.
- Web of Science (Researcher ID) – in addition to the publication profile itself, the platform allows you to display your activity as a reviewer, which further increases your recognisability within the academic community.
- ResearchGate / Academia.edu – upload the full text of the article (if permitted by the publisher) or at least the preprint, and maintain activity on the platform, including answering questions in the Q&A sections and following relevant topics. Such activity increases the likelihood that the platform's algorithms will show your article in recommendations to other researchers.
Social media and popularisation
In addition to academic platforms, it is also worth using social media. These help convey the essence of a study to a wider audience, including those who do not always follow specialised databases.
X (Twitter) is actively used by the scientific community to announce new articles. Here you can post a short thread explaining the essence of the study and add hashtags relevant to the field. This helps expand your reach not only among ordinary users but also among colleagues.
The LinkedIn platform is suited to a different format of dissemination. Here you can publish a post with a brief explanation of the practical significance of the work, aimed not only at an academic audience but also at industry.
Finally, do not neglect highly specialised scientific communities on Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook. Despite their smaller reach compared with mass-market networks, they often provide more accurate and higher-quality feedback from specialists in the same field.
Open access and preprints
As noted above, difficulty in accessing an article can lead to a decrease in its citation rate. This is precisely why special platforms and publication formats exist in the academic sphere, allowing researchers to make their work more accessible even before the final version is released or in parallel with it:
- preprint servers (arXiv, SSRN, ResearchSquare, etc.) – publishing a version of the article before or simultaneously with the peer-reviewed version provides early visibility and feedback from the community even before the final publication
- Open Access – open-access articles demonstrate a higher citation rate
- institutional repositories – placing the article in the repository of your university or institution provides additional indexing independent of the journal
In conclusion, there are many different ways to increase an article's visibility after publication. It is important to remember that the best result can only be achieved when you combine all the approaches described above.
If you wish to increase your citation rate in Google Scholar, contact the Scientific Publications company. Our specialists will advise you and help you develop an effective strategy for improving your indicators. To find out more about our service, leave your contact details below, and our manager will get in touch with you shortly. Together towards new scientific achievements!
