Policy shaping the impact of open-access publications: a longitudinal assessment

This study investigated the longitudinal impact of Open-Access (OA) publication in Israel, a country which has not yet adopted a formal OA policy. We analyzed bibliometric indicators of Israeli researchers across all academic disciplines, focusing on OA publications published in journals and repositories from 2010 to 2020. Data extracted from Scopus reveal a consistent “OA citation advantage” (OACA) throughout the study period, suggesting the influence of OA publication on citation rates beyond time and scientific novelty. Despite the highest number of publications in the green route, steadily increasing over the years, and a recent rise in gold route publications, the hybrid route demonstrates a significantly higher citation advantage, highlighting an “OA subtype citation effect”. Furthermore, our study uncovers a “funding effect” on OA grant-funded publications, indicating a doubled likelihood of publishing in OA when research is funded, contingent on the funder’s OA policy. The findings offer comprehensive insights into OA publishing trends in Israel, serving as a case study for assessing the impact of OA policy. The study underscores the importance of both funder-specific OA policies and broader initiatives by the global scientific community and intergovernmental organizations to promote OA publishing and address potential disparities in research dissemination. Efforts to combat the “rich get richer” effect can foster equitable access to scientific knowledge.