Do Replications Really Receive Fewer Citations?

Tom Coupé, Thomas Logchies and W. Reed ()

Working Papers in Economics from University of Canterbury, Department of Economics and Finance

Abstract: This study examines the commonly held belief that replication studies suffer from a significant citation penalty compared to original research. Analysing a sample of 428 replications in economics, we challenge the traditional method of comparing replication citation rates directly with the originals they replicate. We introduce three incentive-based metrics to assess replication citations: the 'same original counterfactuals,' 'same author counterfactuals,' and 'same issue counterfactuals.' These metrics provide a more appropriate comparison by matching replications with comparable non-replication papers in terms of subject area, authorship, and publication venue. Our findings suggest that replications do not invariably receive fewer citations; rather, the citation gap narrows substantially or even reverses when using alternative counterfactual measures. This study not only reframes the discussion about the value of replication in economics but also encourages the academic community to reassess the incentives for conducting and publishing replication studies.

Keywords: Replications; Citations; Incentives; Academic Publishing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A10 A14 B41 C80 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 32 pages
Date: 2024-10-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hpe and nep-sog
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:cbt:econwp:24/15

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