Open access: not just about citations

"Focusing on the 'citation advantage' of open access misses its value in getting science information in the hands of those who need it....The debate [about the OA citation advantage]...sidesteps consideration of the full value of OA journals. This lies not merely in how they benefit science specialists, but also in making scientific research widely available to those who can neither afford high subscription rates for specialist journals, nor get access to scientific libraries — but whose work or personal interest depend on having access to the global pool of scientific knowledge....What the evidence does do is reinforce the folly of using citation rates alone as the main measure of the social value of science and the work of scientists."