Last week, Neil Hall, a researcher at the Centre for Genomic Research at the University of Liverpool, published an article suggesting the creation of a new metric he dubbed the "Kardashian index." His intention was to illuminate a new trend in the sciences: that researchers can build their public brand not only through original research and highly praised articles, but also through social media. He wrote: "While social media is a valuable tool for outreach and the sharing of ideas, there is a danger that this form of communication is gaining too high a value and that we are losing sight of key metrics of scientific value, such as citation indices." Thus, the Kardashian index was born from the idea that Kim Kardashian is famous for being famous. I highly recommend reading the actual article, mostly because it is hilarious to see Kim being written about in academic speak.
Expectedly, Twitter went bananas and the hashtag #alternatesciencemetrics took off. Here are 10 of the best:
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