Citation dynamics and their relationship with social attention score: a case of climate change law

Purpose This study aims to identify the relationship between Citation Score (CS), Altmetric Attention Score (AAS), Mendeley Reader Count (MRC) and X mentions. Design/methodology/approach Data on “Climate change law” from 2019 to 2023 were sourced from the Web of Science. Social media attention indicators were extracted using Webometric Analyst. Articles mentioned in all social media indicators were included. Regression analysis was used to investigate relationships between the variables. Data collected in the study were imported into MS Excel/ SPSS software in CSV format and visualized using the Data Wrapper and Google Chart platform and correlation analysis set at p < 0.05. Findings This study found moderate positive correlations between CS and the independent variables, with MRC showing a strong positive correlation and significant impact on CS ( p = 0.000834). A 1% increase in MRC led to a 0.018% increase in CS. AAS showed a negative but insignificant association ( p = 0.283003), and X (formerly Twitter) showed a positive but insignificant impact on CS ( p = 0.599853). Practical implications It identified that librarians and information professionals should promote Mendeley use for greater academic visibility. The insignificance of AAS and X mention of predictive power indicates that social media metrics alone are insufficient for assessing academic impact. A linked approach using traditional and Altmetric measures is recommended. Originality/value This study targets the emerging social problem using a dual metric method that reflects the societal impact, which may be used as an indicator for other research performance and replicated as needed. This study also comprehensively covers Sustainable Development Goals 13 (SDGs-13).