Do open access plain-language summaries increase engagement with research?

Abstract

In a range of academic scholarship communities, the debate over the efficacy and impact of open access publishing has intensified. This discourse is strong in [language education and applied linguistics], where the divide between research and practical application (the “teaching-research nexus”) has gained increased attention in scholarly discussions. The prominent argument is that teachers do not engage with research due to its inaccessibility. This study builds on the existing literature by examining the potential effects of open access and accessible summaries (developed through the OASIS initiative) on engagement metrics and citation counts for the journal System. It partially replicates the earlier study by Shepperd et al. (2023. OASIS potential impact on journal article engagement. Report downloaded from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-file-manager/file/651439a9c0bea335021ff64b/OASIS-summaries-impact-report-final-16-August-2023.pdf), which included 34 matched article pairs, by expanding the sample to 72 pairs and applying similar design and analysis procedures. Findings show that published research articles with open access plain language summaries have more downloads and citations, indicating increased engagement and scholarly impact. However, questions remain concerning the true mechanisms driving this relationship, and further research is needed to validate and explain these patterns.