Information disclosure, spillovers, and knowledge accumulation

In 2016, the China Industrial Economics (CIE) journal made a decision to publish the data and codes of relevant papers. We conducted an analysis to examine the causal effects between information disclosure and knowledge accumulation based on this policy change. The results showed a significant increase in both downloads and citations of CIE papers after implementing this policy. Furthermore, we observed that there was a notable increase in similarity between CIE papers and those that cited them, indicating that information disclosure contributes to generating new knowledge.Additionally, our findings revealed that the knowledge spillover effects of CIE papers were primarily driven by increased citations from second-tier journals. This suggests that information disclosure facilitates the dissemination and diffusion of existing knowledge, providing valuable learning opportunities for scientists who have limited access to resources. These findings highlight how information disclosure supports publication and knowledge production processes while promoting greater democratization of science within scientific communities.