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Visual Abstract

Could freely available articles reduce faculty reliance on the library?

Evidence from SMU citations (2015 cohort), free‑version checks via Google Scholar (May–June 2016). Yahaya & Tay (2016), arXiv:1611.01272.

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Free versions exist for most cited items

70.4%

of 142 sampled citations had at least one free version.

Economics

79.8%

Social Sciences

50.0%

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Free copies were online early enough to use

Economics median lead time to the oldest free copy:

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For cited items ≤2 years old: Economics 87.5% and Social Sciences 100% still had a free version.

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Practical implication

Usable at time of research

≈ 74.3%

combining lead times with typical publication lags — many cites could have been obtained without library-mediated access.

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What versions were free?

\n Pre/Post‑prints 64%\n Final published 33%\n Other / undated ~3%\n

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Where were free copies posted?

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Oldest: University websites (~67%)

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Newest: Researcher networks (~31%)

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Scope & caveats

Single institution sample (SMU); Economics dominates — active preprint culture likely boosts free availability and long lead times.
Dating of \"oldest free\" copies uses a best‑effort web \"carbon‑dating\" method with uncertainty.
Discovery relied on Google Scholar; other discovery routes may change levels slightly.

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