IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/scient/v129y2024i2d10.1007_s11192-023-04909-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A multi-dimensional analysis of usage counts, Mendeley readership, and citations for journal and conference papers

Author

Listed:
  • Wencan Tian

    (Dalian University of Technology)

  • Zhichao Fang

    (Renmin University of China
    Leiden University)

  • Xianwen Wang

    (Dalian University of Technology)

  • Rodrigo Costas

    (Leiden University
    Stellenbosch University)

Abstract

This study analyzed 16,799 journal papers and 98,773 conference papers published by IEEE Xplore in 2016 to investigate the relationships among usage counts, Mendeley readership, and citations through descriptive, regression, and mediation analyses. Differences in the relationship among these metrics between journal and conference papers are also studied. Results showed that there is no significant difference between journal and conference papers in the distribution patterns and accumulation rates of the three metrics. However, the correlation coefficients of the interrelationships between the three metrics were lower in conference papers compared to journal papers. Secondly, funding, international collaboration, and open access are positively associated with all three metrics, except for the case of funding on the usage metrics of conference papers. Furthermore, early Mendeley readership is a better predictor of citations than early usage counts and performs better for journal papers. Finally, we reveal that early Mendeley readership partially mediates between early usage counts and citation counts in the journal and conference papers. The main difference is that conference papers rely more on the direct effect of early usage counts on citations. This study contributes to expanding the existing knowledge on the relationships among usage counts, Mendeley readership, and citations in journal and conference papers, providing new insights into the relationship between the three metrics through mediation analysis.

Suggested Citation

  • Wencan Tian & Zhichao Fang & Xianwen Wang & Rodrigo Costas, 2024. "A multi-dimensional analysis of usage counts, Mendeley readership, and citations for journal and conference papers," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 129(2), pages 985-1013, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:129:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04909-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04909-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11192-023-04909-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11192-023-04909-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:129:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-023-04909-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.