  This study investigates how scientific research influences policymaking by
analyzing citations of research articles in policy documents (policy impact)
for nearly 125,000 articles across 434 public policy journals. We reveal
distinct citation patterns between policymakers and other stakeholders like
researchers, journalists, and the public. News and blog mentions, social media
engagement, and open access publications (excluding fully open access)
significantly increase the likelihood of a research article being cited in
policy documents. Conversely, articles locked behind paywalls and those
published under the full open access model (based on Altmetric data) have a
lower chance of being policy-cited. Publication year and policy type show no
significant influence. Our findings emphasize the crucial role of science
communication channels like news media and social media in bridging the gap
between research and policy. Interestingly, academic citations hold a weaker
influence on policy citations compared to news mentions, suggesting a potential
disconnect between how researchers reference research and how policymakers
utilize it. This highlights the need for improved communication strategies to
ensure research informs policy decisions more effectively. This study provides
valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and science communicators.
Researchers can tailor their dissemination efforts to reach policymakers
through media channels. Policymakers can leverage these findings to identify
research with higher policy relevance. Science communicators can play a
critical role in translating research for policymakers and fostering dialogue
between the scientific and policymaking communities.
