On the Availability of ESO Data Papers on arXiv/astro-ph

TL;DR

This study examines the proportion of ESO data papers available on arXiv from 2010 to 2017 and finds that arXiv submissions correlate with higher citation counts, highlighting the impact of open access.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive analysis of ESO data papers' availability on arXiv and their citation advantages, using the telbib database.

Findings

Up to 96% of ESO data papers are available on arXiv.

ArXiv papers are cited 2.8 times more often than non-arXiv papers.

The citation difference is statistically significant, but causality remains uncertain.

Abstract

Using the ESO Telescope Bibliography database telbib, we have investigated the percentage of ESO data papers that were submitted to the arXiv/astro-ph e-print server and that are therefore free to read. Our study revealed an availability of up to 96% of telbib papers on arXiv over the years 2010 to 2017. We also compared the citation counts of arXiv vs. non-arXiv papers and found that on average, papers submitted to arXiv are cited 2.8 times more often than those not on arXiv. While simulations suggest that these findings are statistically significant, we cannot yet draw firm conclusions as to the main cause of these differences.