Exploring the influence of “Voting with Feet” on article impact: An empirical analysis of Chinese LIS journals

Abstract

Journal characteristics are a key determinant of citation impact. Examining how these characteristics relate to the influence of published articles provides an empirical basis for research evaluation. This study investigates the relationship between journal classification, derived from the “Voting with Feet Index” (VFI), and the citation performance of published papers. Using data on major social science awards and recognized domain experts, we construct an award- and expert-based VFI to assess the quality of 31 Chinese journals in Library and Information Science (LIS). Based on VFI scores, journals are grouped into three tiers: high, medium, and low. To analyze differences and relationships, we apply the Kruskal–Wallis H test, correlation analysis, and regression models. Results indicate significant differences in citations among papers published in journals across different VFI tiers, demonstrating a positive correlation between the VFI classification and paper citation. This effect exhibits heterogeneity depending on the institutional tiers (whether the institution is classified as a “Double First-Class university”) and regional distribution (whether the institution is located in Eastern China). Moreover, the funding status of the papers plays a negative moderating role between the VFI journal classification and the paper citations. This study not only quantifies the specific impact of VFI on paper citation rates, providing empirical validation for citation prediction, but also highlights the importance of balancing journal quality and the actual impact of papers in evaluation practices.