A recent groundbreaking study published in Scientometrics (2024) has provided compelling evidence supporting the broader impacts of Open Access (OA) publishing on the global research community. Titled “Open Access Research Outputs Receive More Diverse Citations,” the study highlights how OA research expands the reach and diversity of scholarly engagement, a key promise of the OA movement.
The Study in Focus
Authored by Chun-Kai Huang and colleagues, the study leverages bibliographic data spanning nearly a decade (2010–2019) and encompassing 19 million research outputs with over 420 million citation links. The authors explored the diversity of citations received by OA versus non-OA research articles, focusing on metrics such as geographic diversity and research fields of citing outputs. By employing sophisticated diversity indices like the Shannon Entropy and the Gini-Simpson Index, the researchers demonstrated that OA outputs are not only cited more frequently but also by a broader array of institutions, regions, and disciplines.
Key Findings
- Enhanced Citation Diversity: OA research outputs consistently received citations from more geographically and institutionally diverse sources compared to their closed-access counterparts. This effect was observed across all publication years and most fields of research.
- Green OA Leads the Way: The study found that OA articles available through repositories (Green OA) exhibited a stronger impact on citation diversity than those available via publisher platforms (Gold OA). This reinforces the role of institutional and disciplinary repositories in democratizing access to knowledge.
- Benefits for Underrepresented Regions: While traditionally prestigious research centers in Northern Europe and North America benefited the most in terms of increased usage of OA outputs, the study also noted a growing impact of OA on underrepresented regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. These regions experienced significant increases in citations from OA works, indicating progress toward leveling the playing field in global research dissemination.
- Disentangling Diversity from Citation Count: The authors emphasized that citation diversity and count capture distinct research impact aspects. Even less frequently cited OA works exhibited broader citation diversity, underscoring the accessibility of OA research to new and diverse audiences.
Implications for the Open Access Movement
This study adds significant weight to the argument for adopting Open Access as a model for scholarly publishing. It demonstrates that OA is not merely about boosting citation counts but about fostering inclusivity in global research by enabling access to traditionally marginalized regions and institutions. As the authors note, “Open Access outputs are being used by a wider diversity of citing outputs,” signaling a shift toward a more equitable research ecosystem.
Future Directions
The findings open avenues for further research into the dynamics of OA’s impact on citation diversity, particularly in specific disciplines and geographic regions. The authors also highlighted the need for better data coverage, particularly from regions where research output is traditionally underrepresented. Emerging platforms like OpenAlex could offer improved classification and tracking of such trends in the future.
Conclusion
The study concludes with reaffirming the Budapest Open Access Initiative’s vision, emphasizing that OA accelerates research, enriches education, and bridges gaps between the global North and South. For policymakers, institutions, and researchers, this study serves as a clarion call to strengthen the global push for Open Access and make scholarly knowledge truly inclusive.