DETERMINANTS OF CITATIONS TO ARTICLES IN ELITE LAW REVIEWS

29 Journal Legal Studies 427 (2000)

24 Pages Posted: 22 Apr 1999

See all articles by Ian Ayres

Ian Ayres

Yale University - Yale Law School; Yale University - Yale School of Management

Fredrick E. Vars

University of Alabama - School of Law

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 01, 2000

Abstract

This article analyzes the determinants of citations to pieces published from 1980 to 1995 in Harvard Law Review, Stanford Law Review, and The Yale Law Journal. We also rank articles by number of citations using regressions controlling for time since publication, journal, and subject area. To summarize a few of our results: citations per year peak at 4 years after publication, and an article receives half of its expected total lifetime citations after 4.6 years; appearing first in an issue is a significant advantage; international law articles receive fewer citations; jurisprudence articles are cited more often; articles by young, female, or minority authors are more heavily cited. Articles with shorter titles, fewer footnotes per page, and without equations have significantly more citations than other articles. Total citations generally increase with an article's length, but citations per published page peak at 53 pages.

JEL Classification: K00, C21, C23, C25

Suggested Citation

Ayres, Ian and Vars, Fredrick E., DETERMINANTS OF CITATIONS TO ARTICLES IN ELITE LAW REVIEWS (January 01, 2000). 29 Journal Legal Studies 427 (2000), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=159689

Ian Ayres (Contact Author)

Yale University - Yale Law School ( email )

P.O. Box 208215
New Haven, CT 06520-8215
United States
203-432-7101 (Phone)
203-432-2592 (Fax)

Yale University - Yale School of Management

135 Prospect Street
P.O. Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520-8200
United States

Fredrick E. Vars

University of Alabama - School of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 870382
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487
United States

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