Bite-Size Science: Relative Impact of Short Article Formats

Critics have argued that publishing in psychology must become quicker and leaner. In response, some journals have adopted short article formats alongside regular articles. The citation impact of these formats was compared in a study of 1,735 articles published in Psychological Science, Cognition, and the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology over a 6-year period. Short articles received fewer citations on average but more citations on a per-page basis. They were only slightly less likely to have high impact. Short articles appear to garner scientific influence more efficiently than standard articles, supporting calls for their widespread adoption.