This paper explores the relationship between open access (OA) publishing and citation diversity, offering insights into how accessibility shapes scholarly communication. Regarding responsible research assessment, open scholarship is largely important, helping to evaluate work on its own merits when it is openly accessible.
The authors determined that freely available scholarly publications attract citations from a broader spectrum of disciplines and geographies in contrast to those behind paywalls. This underscores the role of OA in breaking down disciplinary and geographical boundaries, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting the dissemination of knowledge across academic silos. The authors stress that OA not only fosters inclusivity within scholarly communities but also promotes the exchange of ideas across different disciplines and regions, fueling innovation and advancement in diverse fields.
Huang, CK., Neylon, C., Montgomery, L., Hosking, R., Diprose, J., Handcock, R., Wilson, K. (2024) Open access research outputs receive more diverse citations. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-023-04894-0