The effect of Open Access on scientometric indicators of Russian economic journals

Abstract

Numerous publishers view the Open Access (OA) model as one of the ways to strengthen journals’ position. Enhancing the visibility of publications is believed to increase research productivity. The paper explores the impact of OA on scientometric indicators of Russian economic journals. The theoretical basis is comprised of the data management approaches and scientometric management. The methods of scientometrics, bibliometrics and comparative analysis were applied. The paper looks at the main scientometric indicators used in the Science Index ranking: journal impact factor, self-citation rate, authors’ h-index, and the share of downloads. The data for analysis were retrieved from the eLibrary platform. The sample of the study includes open and closed access Russian economic journals from the list of the Higher Attestation Commission (HAC). The results obtained indicate that scientometric indicators of OA journals are higher than those of subscription-based journals, while there are no significant differences between periodicals with paid and free publications. We have found that the OA model does not guarantee an increase in scientometric indicators: most of the titles in the sample are characterised by unstable scientific positions. The research demonstrates the opportunities for using scientometric and bibliometric analyses in the strategic management system of a scientific journal aimed at improving its academic reputation.