Open Access vs Subscription Journals: Do Research Citations Increase?

Open Access vs. Subscription Journals: An 83% Boost in Citations on Academia.edu?

Introduction: Does Open Availability Really Increase Citations?

Few issues in modern academic publishing generate as much debate as the relationship between access and impact. Researchers naturally want their work to be read, discussed and cited, and it therefore seems intuitive that an article available freely online should have an advantage over one hidden behind a subscription paywall. If more people can read a paper, more people can potentially cite it.

This apparently simple logic has encouraged years of discussion about an open-access citation advantage. One particularly eye-catching claim suggested that papers uploaded to Academia.edu received an 83% increase in citations over five years. A figure of that size understandably attracted attention from researchers deciding how to distribute their work.

Yet dramatic citation statistics should always be interpreted carefully. A study can show that openly shared papers receive more citations without proving that open sharing itself caused the increase. Researchers who upload papers to scholarly networking platforms may be more active, more digitally engaged, based at better-resourced institutions or already producing highly visible work. Their papers may therefore differ from the comparison group in ways that affect citation counts independently of accessibility.

The more useful question is not simply whether open-access papers receive more citations, but why they sometimes do, under which circumstances the effect appears strongest and how researchers can use different publishing models strategically.

1. Why the 83% Figure Attracted Attention

A claim of an 83% citation advantage is powerful because citations remain one of the most widely used indicators of scholarly influence. Citation counts affect individual research profiles, journal metrics, institutional assessments and, in some contexts, promotion and funding decisions.

If placing a paper on an academic networking platform could increase citations by anything approaching that amount, the practical implication would be obvious: researchers would have a strong incentive to make their papers easily available online.

The study behind the claim was therefore interesting not only as an analysis of Academia.edu but also as a contribution to the much broader debate about research accessibility.

However, a percentage should never be interpreted without examining the underlying comparison. What kinds of papers were uploaded? What kinds of papers formed the control group? Were the authors comparable? Were the journals similar? Were subject fields, publication dates and article quality controlled adequately?

If these characteristics differ substantially, part or even most of the apparent citation advantage may be explained by factors other than access.

2. Correlation Is Not Necessarily Causation

This distinction is central to interpreting studies of citation advantage.

Suppose researchers discover that openly shared articles receive more citations than articles that remain behind paywalls. There are at least two broad explanations:

1. Open availability causes more people to find, read and cite the work.
2. Articles that authors choose to share openly are systematically different from those they do not share.

Both explanations can operate at the same time.

Authors who upload their papers to repositories or networking platforms may be particularly motivated to promote their research. They may also share links through professional networks, conference presentations, institutional pages or social media. Their citation advantage could therefore arise from a combination of accessibility and active dissemination.

Similarly, authors may be more likely to upload their strongest or most important papers. This creates what is sometimes called a selection effect: the openly available group may contain papers that would have received more citations anyway.

3. Why Comparison Groups Matter So Much

The credibility of any citation study depends heavily on the quality of its control or comparison group. Ideally, openly available papers would be compared with very similar non-open papers in terms of discipline, publication year, journal quality, author profile, article type and subject matter.

If the groups differ substantially, the resulting citation comparison can be misleading.

For example, imagine that the openly shared group contains a high proportion of:

• papers from highly cited disciplines;
• review articles, which often attract more citations;
• papers from established researchers;
• articles in highly visible journals;
• topics currently receiving intense research attention.

If the comparison group contains more specialised or less visible work, an apparent open-access advantage may partly reflect those differences.

This does not mean that open sharing offers no benefit. It means that headline percentages should be treated as estimates shaped by study design rather than universal rules.

4. Why Open Access Can Plausibly Increase Visibility

Despite methodological difficulties, there are strong practical reasons to believe that accessibility can increase exposure.

A subscription article may be immediately available to researchers at well-funded universities but inaccessible to:

• researchers at smaller institutions;
• independent scholars;
• practitioners outside universities;
• researchers in countries with limited journal subscriptions;
• students whose institutions do not subscribe to the relevant journal;
• journalists, policymakers and members of the public.

An openly accessible version removes this barrier. Anyone who discovers the article can read it immediately rather than abandoning the search when confronted with a paywall.

This can increase downloads, discussion and, potentially, citations.

5. Discoverability and Accessibility Are Different

Making an article free to read does not automatically mean that readers will find it.

Accessibility means that a reader can obtain the paper without a subscription or payment. Discoverability means that the paper appears where relevant readers are searching.

A freely available article hidden on an obscure webpage may receive little attention. By contrast, a subscription article in a major journal may be highly discoverable through indexing databases, alerts and recommendation systems.

The strongest dissemination strategy therefore combines both:

• publication in a journal that reaches the right audience;
• accurate title and keywords;
• indexing in major databases;
• lawful open sharing where possible;
• links from institutional and professional profiles;
• appropriate communication through academic networks.

Authors should think beyond the simple distinction between “open” and “closed.” The real question is how easily the right readers can discover and access the paper.

6. Subscription Journals Still Offer Important Advantages

Subscription publishing is sometimes described as an outdated system, but many subscription journals remain among the most respected and widely read publications in their disciplines.

Potential advantages include:

• strong journal reputation;
• well-established editorial and peer-review systems;
• high visibility within specialist academic communities;
• extensive database indexing;
• institutional subscriptions that provide access to large research populations;
• no mandatory article processing charge for standard publication in many cases.

A highly regarded subscription journal may provide better scholarly reach than a poorly known open-access journal. Journal fit, quality and readership therefore remain essential.

7. The Main Types of Open Access

Open access is not a single publishing model. Researchers encounter several different routes.

Gold Open Access

The final published article is freely available immediately on the journal's website. Authors, institutions or funders often pay an Article Processing Charge (APC), although some journals operate without author fees.

Hybrid Open Access

A subscription journal allows individual authors to pay an APC so that their particular article becomes openly accessible while other articles remain behind the subscription paywall.

Green Open Access

The author publishes through a subscription or hybrid journal but deposits an allowed version of the article in an institutional or subject repository. An embargo may apply depending on publisher policy.

Diamond Open Access

Neither authors nor readers pay. Publication costs are supported by institutions, societies, governments or other funding structures.

These models have different implications for cost, copyright, speed and accessibility, so authors should investigate the details rather than treating all open access as equivalent.

8. Academic Networking Platforms Are Not the Same as Journals

Platforms such as Academia.edu can increase visibility by helping researchers share information and discover one another's work. However, uploading a paper to a networking platform is not itself equivalent to publishing in an open-access journal.

The journal remains the formal publication venue. The platform provides an additional distribution channel.

This distinction matters because researchers should check:

• which manuscript version may legally be uploaded;
• whether the publisher imposes an embargo;
• whether copyright has been transferred;
• whether an institutional repository would provide a more stable archival location.

Sharing can be valuable, but it should be done in accordance with the publishing agreement.

9. Citation Advantage May Differ by Discipline

The effect of open access is unlikely to be identical across fields. Citation cultures vary greatly.

In fast-moving scientific areas, researchers may cite work rapidly and rely heavily on journal articles and preprints. In parts of the humanities, books may remain influential for decades and citations accumulate much more slowly.

Access barriers also vary. Some disciplines already have strong repository cultures, meaning that even articles formally published behind paywalls may be readily available in accepted-manuscript form.

Researchers should therefore be cautious about applying a citation percentage from one broad dataset directly to their own discipline.

10. Journal Prestige Can Complicate the Comparison

Citations are influenced strongly by journal reputation and audience. A paper in a prestigious subscription journal may receive more citations than a comparable paper in a little-known open-access journal because readers routinely monitor the prestigious title.

Conversely, a respected open-access journal may combine strong journal visibility with unrestricted readership.

The publication decision should therefore consider:

• journal reputation;
• scope and audience;
• indexing;
• peer-review standards;
• open-access options;
• publication costs;
• sharing rights.

No single factor determines impact.

11. Cost Is a Major Part of the Open-Access Decision

Greater accessibility can come at a substantial cost. Many gold and hybrid open-access journals charge APCs, and these can place significant pressure on researchers without strong institutional or grant support.

Before choosing an open-access option, authors should determine:

• the exact APC;
• whether VAT or other taxes apply;
• whether the institution has a publisher agreement;
• whether the funder will cover the charge;
• whether waivers or discounts are available;
• whether a green open-access route offers similar accessibility without a fee.

Paying a large APC solely because open access might produce more citations is rarely a sufficient publication strategy. The journal itself must still be appropriate, reputable and visible within the relevant field.

12. Open Access Is Not a Measure of Quality

One persistent misconception is that open-access journals are necessarily less rigorous than subscription journals. Another, equally misleading, assumption is that open access automatically signals progressive or superior publishing.

Access model and scholarly quality are separate questions.

There are excellent open-access journals and excellent subscription journals. There are also weak and predatory publications that exploit the open-access model by collecting author fees without providing meaningful peer review or editorial standards.

Authors should evaluate:

• the editorial board;
• peer-review procedures;
• publisher reputation;
• indexing status;
• publication ethics policies;
• fee transparency;
• quality of recently published papers.

The decision should never be reduced to “open access equals good” or “subscription equals prestigious.”

13. Self-Archiving Can Provide a Practical Middle Ground

Researchers who want to publish in a respected subscription journal but also want their work to be widely accessible may be able to use green open access.

Depending on publisher policy, authors may deposit:

• a preprint;
• the accepted manuscript after peer review;
• occasionally the final published version.

The permitted version, repository and embargo period vary, so authors must check the journal agreement carefully.

Institutional repositories are particularly useful because they offer stable links, long-term preservation and search-engine visibility. They may provide many of the accessibility benefits associated with open publication without requiring an APC.

14. Promotion Can Influence Citation Performance

Publication is not necessarily the end of dissemination. Researchers can responsibly draw attention to their work through:

• institutional webpages;
• professional networking platforms;
• conference presentations;
• email discussion groups;
• research blogs;
• ORCID and researcher profiles;
• subject repositories;
• links in related future publications.

This is another reason why it is difficult to isolate the effect of open access itself. Authors who make papers freely available may also promote them more actively.

Nevertheless, the practical lesson remains useful: researchers who want their work to be read should make it easy to discover and, where legally possible, easy to access.

15. Title, Abstract and Keywords Still Matter

Even an openly available paper will attract little attention if potential readers cannot identify its relevance.

The title should describe the central topic clearly. The abstract should explain the question, methods, results and significance. Keywords should reflect terminology that researchers actually use when searching.

These elements affect:

• database retrieval;
• search-engine visibility;
• recommendation systems;
• reader decisions about whether to open the full article.

Accessibility and metadata should therefore be treated as complementary parts of dissemination.

16. Do Not Chase Citations at the Expense of Journal Fit

Citations matter, but they should not become the only criterion when choosing a journal. A paper is most useful when it reaches the audience most capable of understanding, testing and building upon it.

A highly specialised paper may receive fewer total citations than a broad medical review but still have enormous value within its field. Similarly, research designed to influence clinical practice, engineering standards or public policy may have significant impact that is not captured fully by citation counts.

Ask:

• Who needs to read this paper?
• Which journals do those readers follow?
• Will they have access?
• Can I lawfully make an accepted version available?
• Does the journal have appropriate indexing and credibility?

These questions are often more useful than asking which route promises the highest numerical citation advantage.

17. Consider Funder and Institutional Requirements

For many researchers, open access is not purely optional. Funding bodies and universities may require publicly funded research to be made openly available within a specified period.

Before submission, authors should check:

• funder open-access policies;
• required licences;
• repository deposit rules;
• embargo restrictions;
• whether the journal complies with those requirements.

A prestigious journal is a poor strategic choice if publication there would place the author in breach of a funding agreement.

18. Licensing Determines What Readers Can Do

Open access does not simply mean “free to read.” Licences determine whether readers may redistribute, adapt, translate or commercially reuse the work.

Creative Commons licences are common in open-access publishing. Authors should understand the difference between licences rather than selecting one automatically.

A funder may require a particular licence, while an author may have legitimate concerns about reuse of figures, third-party material or commercial applications.

The publication strategy should therefore consider both access and rights.

19. Citation Counts Are Only One Measure of Impact

A narrow focus on citations can overlook other important forms of influence.

Research may be:

• downloaded extensively;
• used in clinical guidance;
• cited in policy documents;
• discussed in professional training;
• incorporated into teaching;
• shared by practitioners;
• used in software or technical standards;
• reported in the media.

Open accessibility may be particularly valuable for these broader audiences because many do not have institutional journal subscriptions.

Researchers should therefore think about the type of impact they want, not merely the citation count they hope to achieve.

20. Why Debate About the Open-Access Citation Advantage Continues

The debate persists because the underlying question is difficult to study perfectly.

Researchers cannot easily assign identical papers randomly to open and closed conditions. Real-world publication involves self-selection, journal differences, subject differences, author reputation and multiple dissemination strategies.

Studies may therefore produce different estimates depending on:

• which disciplines are included;
• how open access is defined;
• how long citation performance is observed;
• which variables are controlled;
• whether repository copies and publisher versions are distinguished;
• how author characteristics are handled.

It is therefore unsurprising that one study may report a striking citation advantage while another finds a much smaller effect.

21. A Better Question for Authors

Instead of asking, “Will open access give me 83% more citations?”, ask:

“Which publication and dissemination strategy will make this particular paper easiest for its intended audience to discover, access and use?”

That question encourages a more sophisticated decision.

For one paper, the answer may be a respected fully open-access journal. For another, it may be a leading subscription journal combined with repository deposit. For a third, a specialist society journal with modest readership but exceptional relevance may be ideal.

22. A Practical Publication Strategy

Conclusion

The claim that papers uploaded to Academia.edu could receive an 83% citation boost illustrates both the attraction and the difficulty of research into open-access citation advantages. The possibility that freely accessible papers receive more attention is intuitively plausible: removing a paywall gives more readers the opportunity to discover, download and use research.

However, large citation differences should not automatically be interpreted as proof that access alone caused the advantage. Author behaviour, journal quality, research topic, discipline, article type, promotion and the characteristics of comparison groups can all influence citation outcomes. A striking percentage may therefore contain a mixture of genuine access effects and selection effects.

For authors, the practical conclusion is not that open access should be embraced uncritically or that subscription publishing should be rejected. Both models can support highly influential research. What matters is choosing a reputable journal that fits the manuscript, understanding the financial and licensing implications, complying with funder requirements and making legitimate use of repositories or professional networks to improve accessibility where possible.

Research impact is created through a combination of quality, relevance, visibility and access. Authors who consider all four are more likely to reach the readers who can use and cite their work than those who base publication decisions on a single headline statistic.

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