Lariviere, V; Gingras, Y. 2010. The Impact Factor's Matthew Effect: A Natural Experiment in Bibliometrics. JASIST 61 (2): 424-427.

[Eugene Garfield]

Lariviere, V; Gingras, Y. 2010. The Impact Factor's Matthew Effect: A Natural 
Experiment in Bibliometrics. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR 
INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 61 (2): 424-427.

Author Full Name(s): Lariviere, Vincent; Gingras, Yves

Language: English
Document Type: Article

KeyWords Plus: SCIENCE SYSTEM; SCALING RULES; CITATION 
CHARACTERISTICS; INDICATORS

Abstract: Since the publication of Robert K. Merton's theory of cumulative 
advantage in science (Matthew Effect), several empirical studies have tried to 
measure its presence at the level of papers, individual researchers, institutions, 
or countries. However, these studies seldom control for the intrinsic "quality" of 
papers or of researchers-"better" (however defined) papers or researchers 
could receive higher citation rates because they are indeed of better quality. 
Using an original method for controlling the intrinsic value of papers-identical 
duplicate papers published in different journals with different impact factors-
this paper shows that the journal in which papers are published have a strong 
influence on their citation rates, as duplicate papers published in high-impact 
journals obtain, on average, twice as many citations as their identical 
counterparts published in journals with lower impact factors. The intrinsic value 
of a paper is thus not the only reason a given paper gets cited or not, there is 
a specific Matthew Effect attached to journals and this gives to papers 
published there an added value over and above their intrinsic quality.

Addresses: [Lariviere, Vincent; Gingras, Yves] Univ Quebec Montreal, OST, 
CIRST, Montreal, PQ H3C 3P8, Canada

Reprint Address: Lariviere, V, Univ Quebec Montreal, OST, CIRST, CP 
8888,Succursale Ctr Ville, Montreal, PQ H3C 3P8, Canada.

E-mail Address: lariviere.vincent at uqam.ca; gingras.yves at uqam.ca

ISSN: 1532-2882
DOI: 10.1002/asi.21232