Articles

In this study, we investigated whether citation context information is able to increase the validity of citation impact analyses to measure research quality compared to simple citation counts. We analyzed the statistical relationships of information extracted from structured citation context data in the Web of Science (Clarivate) such as the placement of citations within specific sections of an article with post-publication peer review quality ratings from Faculty Opinions (H1 connect), used as an external validity criterion for research quality. The study is based on publications in medicine and life sciences. [...]

Ageism in universities—meaning unequal treatment based on (older) age—is rarely addressed in higher education research. Yet with increasingly age-diverse student populations, older students may face discrimination for defying chrononormative expectations. Using data from the 2021 German Student Survey (N = 4,811; 300 students aged 30+), this research note identifies six forms of ageism. Logistic regression shows older students more often feel excluded or disregarded, but less often report unwelcome sexual remarks. Findings point to the need for policy action and greater scholarly attention to ageism in higher education.

Why are children with lower socioeconomic status (SES) substantially less likely to be enrolled in child care? We study whether barriers in the application process work against lower-SES children — the group known to benefit strongest from child care enrollment. In an RCT in Germany with highly subsidized child care (N = 607), we offer treated families information and personal assistance for applications. We find substantial, equity-enhancing effects of the treatment, closing half of the large SES gap in child care enrollment. Increased enrollment for lower-SES families is likely driven by altered application knowledge and behavior. We discuss scalability of our intervention and derive policy implications for the design of universal child..