Assessing the academic and societal impact of Open Access: bibliometric and altmetric analyses | Scientometrics

Abstract:  The accessibility of scholarly research plays a crucial role in shaping academic impact and societal engagement. This study examines how Open Access (OA) models—Gold, Hybrid-Gold, Green, and Bronze—as well as Closed Access are associated with bibliometric and altmetric indicators in publications authored by Israeli researchers from 2013 to 2023. By integrating Scopus and PlumX data, the study analyzes variations in academic impact (citations, captures, and usage) and societal engagement (social media and mentions) across access models and over time. The findings show that Bronze OA is associated with higher levels of bibliometric and altmetric indicators. Hybrid-Gold OA demonstrated citation and altmetric gains that closely approached those of Bronze OA, with the highest levels of mentions. In contrast, Closed Access exhibits the highest usage metrics. Additionally, a greater number of authors corresponds with higher bibliometric and altmetric values. The relationship between academic impact and societal engagement has strengthened in recent years, particularly for Open Access publications, suggesting an increasing alignment between public attention and academic recognition. Furthermore, publications with high academic impact, strong societal engagement, and multiple authors are more commonly associated with Open Access status. The association between societal engagement and academic impact appears strongest among high-impact publications, whereas author count shows greater explanatory power among lower-impact work. These patterns offer valuable insights for researchers, institutions, policymakers, and publishers seeking to better understand scholarly dissemination. They also contribute to ongoing discussions on Open Access policies by describing patterns of access, engagement, and impact in an evolving academic landscape.