You may want to browse through an earlier thread on this list that discussed
this article.  See the "Research on increased citations of ETDs?" posts at:

  http://listserv.vt.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind0710&L=etd-l&T=0


Thomas Dowling
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On 09/28/2009 01:31 PM, Marisa Ramirez wrote:
> Hello all -
> 
>>From anecdotal information, I was under the impression that the impact
> of theses has increased overtime particularly with increased access &
> availability of ETDs.
> 
> However,  I stumbled upon a bibliometric study that reported the
> following paradox: while theses are becoming increasingly accessible
> to scholars in the form of ETDs, the overall impact of theses has
> declined over time. (See Lariviere, V et al. (2008). "The declining
> scientific impact of theses: Implications for electronic theses and
> dissertation repositories and graduate studies"  Scientometrics,
> 74(1): 109-121.)
> 
> Are there any studies that support the contrary?
> 
> Thanks,
> Marisa
> 
> Marisa Ramirez
> Digital Repository Librarian
> California Polytechnic State University
> Phone: 805.756.7040
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