Open Access Citation Impact Advantage: weight of the evidence

[Heather Morrison <hgmorris@sfu.ca>]

Ben Wagner's recent publication considers and weighs the evidence 
on the OA citation impact advantage.

Key findings: the overwhelming weight of the evidence suggests a 
strong OA citation impact advantage, with a download differential 
found across studies averaging at least 100%, followed by a 
citation impact differential of between 25-250% in favour of open 
access for the majority of studies, and particularly for larger 
studies, with a minority of studies finding no effect. Possible 
explanations for these anomalies include small sample size (one 
study refers to an a statistically insignificant OA impact 
advantage), disciplinary citation patterns, and failure to allow 
sufficient time to observe the citation impact difference. As the 
author points out - NO studies found a citation disadvantage for 
OA.

My comment: the empirical research findings are supported by 
logic. Indeed, one might argue that this research, which welcome 
and useful, should not be necessary. It just makes sense that if 
a scholar makes their work more widely available, more people 
will read it (including scholars) and cite it.

Article:  Wagner, A. Ben. "Open Access Citation Advantage: An 
Annotated Bibliography" (Issues in Science and Technology 
Librarianship, Winter 2010), available at:
http://www.istl.org/10-winter/article2.html

Heather Morrison, MLIS
Doctoral Candidate, Simon Fraser University School of 
Communication
http://pages.cmns.sfu.ca/heather-morrison/
The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics
http://poeticeconomics.blogspot.com