Who you Publish with Matters: The Effects of Authorship Composition on Citations of Sports Economics Publications

The number of citations per publication is an established metric to evaluate scientists' research impact. Therefore, it is important for scientists to learn how to potentially increase their publications' citations. This study investigates whether and how the authorship composition regarding research impact, gender diversity, and cultural diversity affect citations of sports economics publications. Data of all sports economics publications in the International Journal of Sport Finance, Journal of Sports Economics, Contemporary Economic Policy, and Economic Inquiry (n = 926; 2006-2020) and their corresponding citations were collected until January 2023. Results of log-linear regressions show an inverse U-shaped effect of the mean h-index and mean citations of coauthors on a publication's citations. The higher the gender and cultural diversity among coauthors, the more citations per publication. These findings suggest that authorship team composition matters and increasing gender and cultural diversity among coauthors can benefit sports economics researchers' citations.