Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial
BackgroundThere are limited evidence-based strategies that have been shown to increase the rate at which peer-reviewed articles are cited. In a previously reported randomized controlled trial, we demonstrated that promotion of article links in an online cross-publisher distri...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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JMIR Publications
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2021/12/e34051 |
| _version_ | 1797735496269430784 |
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| author | Paul Kudlow Tashauna Brown Gunther Eysenbach |
| author_facet | Paul Kudlow Tashauna Brown Gunther Eysenbach |
| author_sort | Paul Kudlow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundThere are limited evidence-based strategies that have been shown to increase the rate at which peer-reviewed articles are cited. In a previously reported randomized controlled trial, we demonstrated that promotion of article links in an online cross-publisher distribution platform (TrendMD) persistently augments citation rates after 12 months, leading to a statistically significant 50% increase in citations relative to the control.
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate if the citation advantage of promoted articles upholds after 36 months.
MethodsA total of 3200 published articles in 64 peer-reviewed journals across 8 subject areas were block randomized at the subject level to either the TrendMD group (n=1600) or the control group (n=1600) of the study. Articles were promoted in the TrendMD Network for 6 months. We compared the citation rates in both groups after 36 months.
ResultsAt 36 months, we found the citation advantage endured; articles randomized to TrendMD showed a 28% increase in mean citations relative to the control. The difference in mean citations at 36 months for articles randomized to TrendMD versus the control was 10.52 (95% CI 3.79-17.25) and was statistically significant (P=.001).
ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate how a postpublication article promotion intervention can be used to persistently augment citations of peer-reviewed articles. TrendMD is an efficient digital tool for knowledge translation and dissemination to targeted audiences to facilitate the uptake of research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c93112a79e93427ba24d14c5e4385800 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:59:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-12-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-c93112a79e93427ba24d14c5e43858002023-08-28T19:59:46ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712021-12-012312e3405110.2196/34051Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled TrialPaul Kudlowhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2704-4989Tashauna Brownhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2511-8094Gunther Eysenbachhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-5330 BackgroundThere are limited evidence-based strategies that have been shown to increase the rate at which peer-reviewed articles are cited. In a previously reported randomized controlled trial, we demonstrated that promotion of article links in an online cross-publisher distribution platform (TrendMD) persistently augments citation rates after 12 months, leading to a statistically significant 50% increase in citations relative to the control. ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate if the citation advantage of promoted articles upholds after 36 months. MethodsA total of 3200 published articles in 64 peer-reviewed journals across 8 subject areas were block randomized at the subject level to either the TrendMD group (n=1600) or the control group (n=1600) of the study. Articles were promoted in the TrendMD Network for 6 months. We compared the citation rates in both groups after 36 months. ResultsAt 36 months, we found the citation advantage endured; articles randomized to TrendMD showed a 28% increase in mean citations relative to the control. The difference in mean citations at 36 months for articles randomized to TrendMD versus the control was 10.52 (95% CI 3.79-17.25) and was statistically significant (P=.001). ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial to demonstrate how a postpublication article promotion intervention can be used to persistently augment citations of peer-reviewed articles. TrendMD is an efficient digital tool for knowledge translation and dissemination to targeted audiences to facilitate the uptake of research.https://www.jmir.org/2021/12/e34051 |
| spellingShingle | Paul Kudlow Tashauna Brown Gunther Eysenbach Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full | Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_fullStr | Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_short | Citation Advantage of Promoted Articles in a Cross-Publisher Distribution Platform: 36-Month Follow-up to a Randomized Controlled Trial |
| title_sort | citation advantage of promoted articles in a cross publisher distribution platform 36 month follow up to a randomized controlled trial |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2021/12/e34051 |
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