Open Access Increases Citation Rate
Author Information
Author(s): Gunther Eysenbach
Primary Institution: Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, University Health Network; and Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto
Hypothesis
Does open access publishing lead to a citation advantage for research articles?
Conclusion
Open access articles are cited more often and more quickly than non-open access articles.
Supporting Evidence
- Open access articles were cited more often than non-open access articles.
- Non-open access articles had a higher likelihood of being uncited.
- Open access articles had a higher average number of citations.
Takeaway
When researchers make their articles freely available, more people read and cite them, which helps spread their ideas faster.
Methodology
A longitudinal bibliometric analysis comparing citations of open access and non-open access articles published in the same journal.
Potential Biases
There may be selection bias in authors choosing to publish their most important work as open access.
Limitations
The study only provides a short-term view of citation patterns and may not account for all confounding factors.
Participant Demographics
Authors came from 39 different countries, with the majority from the United States.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001
Confidence Interval
1.1–1.6
Statistical Significance
p < 0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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