Editor home bias?

• Published in: Research policy 2023-07, Vol.52 (6), p.104766, Article 104766
• Main Authors: Rubin, Amir, Rubin, Eran, Segal, Dan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Civil law; Common law; Editorial Bias; Home-bias; Legal origin; Productivity; Scholarly; Science
• ISSN: 0048-7333; 1873-7625
• DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2023.104766

We analyze whether journal editors exhibit home bias in their acceptance decisions towards researchers affiliated with institutions in the editor's home country. Our results show that the fraction of articles accepted by authors affiliated with European civil-law countries increase by 33 % when an editor from the same country serves in the journal. We analyze various possible reasons for this phenomenon and conclude that a likely explanation for the bias is that, in civil-law countries, there is greater emphasis on individuals' solidarity with institutions. We also document that this bias extends to the European Union as a whole. Importantly, articles that are potentially subject to editorial home bias have 10 % lower impact than similar articles. Overall, the findings are consistent with the idea that cultural values potentially foster editorial-biased behavior and hinder scientific progress. •Journal editors from Europe exhibit home bias in their acceptance decision•A possible reason for the bias is that in civil-law countries there is emphasis on individuals' solidarity with institutions•Articles that are potentially subject to the home bias have a 10 % lower impact. Hence, the bias is not merit based