Altmetrics, a subfield of informetrics, is still in development. The aim of this thesis is to explore; the significance Altmetrics may have in the LIS field, and to define the new perspectives Altmetrics offer in comparison to traditional metrics. The research questions are:- How can Altmetrics affect research assessment?- How does Altmetrics position itself towards traditional metrics?- How could Altmetrics influence the LIS field?A qualitative content analysis was used as a method. The analysis of a sample of ten peer reviewed articles was based on a coding scheme with eleven codes.