Comparing impact of green open access and toll-access publication in the chemical sciences

Abstract

This study investigates the comparative research impact and dissemination of green open access (GOA) and traditional toll-access (TA) publications within the chemical sciences. Employing programmatic data harvesting via ChemRxiv and Scopus APIs and integrating both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, this research presents a replicable framework for bibliometric assessment. The findings indicate that GOA publications achieve higher levels of social media engagement and exhibit citation rates comparable to those of TA publications, even when featured in journals with lower h-index scores, suggesting enhanced visibility and sustained readership. Notably, the study underscores the critical importance of controlling for article age, as demonstrated by the significant correlational interactions between age and key bibliometric and altmetric measures. This insight not only fills a gap in existing literature but also informs effective methodological approaches for future analyses. The confirmation of non-normal distribution behaviors in these metrics reinforces the need for non-parametric analytical methods, highlighting the limitations of traditional parametric comparisons. Collectively, these findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how access models shape scholarly impact and underscore the necessity of employing robust, tailored statistical methods. The study advocates for continued longitudinal research to further elucidate the complex dynamics of research dissemination and engagement.