Research dissemination and invocation on the Web

The importance of the Web as a new medium for disseminating and promoting scholarly research is discussed. Particular attention is paid to its potential to provide evidence of wider impact for research than that which can be shown by citation analysis. Recommendations are made for basic strategies for the reporting of the online impact of research leading to the production of what is termed a Web Invocation Portfolio. A conceptual framework is also proposed to help funding and promotion committees assess and compare portfolios.