“Funders and stakeholders remember compelling stories far better than raw numbers.”
Neil Byers, Joint Genome Institute
Neil Byers, an Impact Analyst and Data Scientist at the US Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute (JGI), has a unique approach to measuring research impact. “As a taxpayer-funded organization, our stakeholders want to know how the foundational science we do contributes to real-world outcomes,” he explains.
JGI, located at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, specializes in genomics for environmental and energy research. Researchers provide field samples, which JGI sequences and analyses, offering high-quality data free of charge. This data is then made publicly available through JGI’s online portals, enabling global researchers to use and build upon it. Neil’s role involves using data to uncover impactful stories that demonstrate how JGI’s genomic research translates into societal benefits.
Moving beyond metrics: measuring what matters
For JGI, impact isn’t just about journal citations or prestige. “Standard bibliometrics don’t capture the full picture of how science affects people’s lives,” explains Neil. Instead, he focuses on tracing the pathways through which JGI’s research contributes to practical applications.
One example is JGI’s work on plant genomes, such as sequencing data for cucumbers. Between 2006 and 2008, JGI sequenced large plant genomes, which were made publicly accessible. A Chinese-led team used this data in 2009 to determine the cucumber genome. Later, agriscience companies Bayer and Seminis utilized this research to patent cucumber genes resistant to Downy Mildew, a pathogen that can devastate US cucumber crops. By 2016, these companies released disease-resistant cucumber varieties to market, offering farmers tangible solutions to crop blight.
“It’s great being able to talk about how JGI is fundamentally starting a chain that can lead to real-world outcomes,” says Neil. “But the challenge is: how do we identify these kinds of stories?”
Turning data into stories
To solve this challenge, Neil turned to Dimensions, the world’s largest linked scientific research database, and Altmetric, a system that tracks the online attention received by published research.
“First we have to find citations of the outputs that we released out into the world,” continues Neil.
“For this I use Dimensions, because it has a really great full text search capability. That’s how I was able to identify the cucumber genome link. I pulled together all of the things that can represent our plant genomes, then I blasted that into “mentions” and returned the cucumber genome paper as one of my results.”
The next problem is that Neil might be left with thousands of citations. “It would be very hard to sort through all those papers and make sense of them,” he points out. “But Altmetric gives us a way to filter down this massive data set to key mentions, such as patents and policy documents. That helps us focus on potentially interesting examples by providing headlines and taglines that spark further investigation.”
By cross-referencing citation data from Dimensions with Altmetric mentions, Neil identifies connections that demonstrate JGI’s influence on downstream outcomes. He then verifies their “provenance” by checking three critical links: whether JGI’s data directly influenced the research paper; the significance of the resulting mention (e.g., patents or news stories); and the connection between the mention and the downstream outcome. This rigorous process ensures that JGI can credibly claim its role in impactful outcomes like disease-resistant cucumber varieties.
“Narratives aren’t just an addition to metrics, they’re a bridge between complex data and real-world understanding. It’s great being able to create narratives that are a lot easier for people to process – and Altmetric gives me a foundation for doing that.”
From narratives to real-world impact
While the process is painstaking, Neil sees immense value in combining quantitative metrics with qualitative storytelling. “Funders and stakeholders remember compelling stories far better than raw numbers,” he shares. “And you really only need a few examples to tell a really, really powerful story.” For example, a narrative about JGI’s role in mitigating cucumber crop blight can resonate deeply, complementing traditional metrics with tangible outcomes.
Looking ahead, Neil envisions refining this approach to uncover even more impactful stories. “Narratives aren’t just an addition to metrics, they’re a bridge between complex data and real-world understanding,” he concludes. “It’s great being able to create narratives that are a lot easier for people to process – and Altmetric gives me a foundation for doing that.”
By leveraging tools like Dimensions and Altmetric, JGI continues to showcase how fundamental science drives societal progress, one story at a time.
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