Is Open Access Criminology Influential?

2024/08/13 by John Worrall, Katherine M. Wilds · 1 voice
Decision Sciences · #Meta-analysis and systematic reviews #scientometrics and bibliometrics research

paper · doi:10.1080/10511253.2024.2389096

openalex publication_date 2024/08/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/13

Abstract

Open access is a hot topic throughout the sciences, including in criminology and criminal justice (CCJ), with increasing calls for accessibility of high-quality research for the public and policymakers. Yet, the question remains: How influential are open access publications? We use Altmetric data from 95 CCJ journals to examine whether the presence and level of open access corresponds with variations in three influence indicators: Altmetric Attention Scores, Twitter/X mentions, and news mentions. Results indicate that open access is positively associated with Altmetric influence, even at lower tiers of access.

Citations

• Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science
• The Open-Access Availability of Criminological Research to Practitioners and Policy Makers

Discussions

• This (non-experimental) study of 21,000 articles published in criminology journals found those that were published #OpenAccess were more likely to be cited in non-academic sources such as news reports [bsky, 7 points, 3 comments]

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