Special Lecture on “Sentiment Analysis in Research: Understanding Perceptions and Impact” & “Altmetrics: Beyond Citations to Influence and Engagement”

Chandigarh, February 17, 2025: The Department of Library and Information Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, successfully organised a Special Lecture on “Sentiment Analysis in Research: Understanding Perceptions and Impact” and “Altmetrics: Beyond Citations to Influence and Engagement” at Seminar Hall 1, Department of Library and Information Science, Panjab University. The session was delivered by Prof. Sumeer Gul from the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Kashmir. Faculty members, research scholars, and students of B.Lib.I.Sc and M.Lib.I.Sc actively participated in the lecture.

Prof. Sumeer Gul commenced his lecture by introducing the concept of sentiment analysis in research. He elaborated on how sentiment analysis helps in understanding public perception and scholarly opinions on various academic and societal issues. He discussed the role of natural language processing (NLP) techniques in extracting sentiments from textual data and how researchers can leverage these insights to evaluate the impact of research works and policy decisions. Additionally, he highlighted practical applications of sentiment analysis in academic and commercial settings, providing real-world examples to illustrate its significance.

In the second session, Prof. Sumeer Gul explored the evolving landscape of altmetrics as an alternative to traditional citation-based impact assessment. He emphasized how altmetrics go beyond citations by measuring research influence through online platforms, including social media, blogs, and policy documents. He demonstrated how altmetrics provide a more comprehensive and immediate understanding of research engagement and impact. Furthermore, he discussed various tools and metrics used in altmetrics analysis and encouraged students and researchers to integrate these indicators into their scholarly evaluations.

Throughout the lecture, Prof. Sumeer Gul engaged the audience with case studies, interactive discussions, and practical demonstrations of sentiment analysis and altmetrics tools. The session concluded with an engaging question-and-answer segment, where participants actively shared their views and queries regarding the implications of these emerging methodologies in academic research.