Getting cited: Does open access help?

Patrick Gaulé and Nicolas Maystre

Research Policy, 2011, vol. 40, issue 10, 1332-1338

Abstract: Cross-sectional studies typically find positive correlations between free availability of scientific articles (‘open access’) and citations. Using a number of instruments as plausible sources of exogeneous variation, we find no evidence for a causal effect of open access on citations. We provide theory and evidence suggesting that authors of higher quality papers are more likely to choose open access in hybrid journals which offer an open access option. Self-selection mechanisms may thus explain the discrepancy between the positive correlation found in Eysenbach (2006) and other cross-sectional studies and the absence of such correlation in the field experiment of Davis et al. (2008).

Keywords: Open access; Knowledge diffusion; Scientific publishing; Citations; Self-selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (45)

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Working Paper: Getting cited: does open access help? (2008)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:respol:v:40:y:2011:i:10:p:1332-1338

DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2011.05.025

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