Open access publications from University Grants Commission funded research: a bibliometric study

Abstract

Research funding agencies play a crucial role in shaping the impact and dissemination of scholarly research. As Open Access (OA) to research findings gains momentum, understanding the impact of funding agencies on OA publications becomes essential. This study explores the impact of open access publications resulting from research funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), with a focus on the Indian context. It utilizes comprehensive publication data from the Scopus database, specifically where UGC is listed as a funding sponsor. The analysis is entirely based on Scopus data, with results drawn from entries where the term "UGC" appears. The study examines a total of 145,158 documents published as an outcome of UGC research funding. Among these, 36,662 (25.25%) were found to be OA publications. Despite being one third of total publications, these OA publications garnered significant attention, receiving 928,267 citations. This citation impact of OA publications highlights the importance and effectiveness of UGC funding in promoting open access publishing in research. The findings underscore the need for continued support and encouragement for open-access initiatives by research funding agencies to enhance the accessibility and impact of scholarly research.