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Paper Tiger? Chinese Science and Home Bias in Citations

Author

Listed:
  • Shumin Qiu

    (East China University of Science and Technology)

  • Claudia Steinwender

    (LMU Munich)

  • Pierre Azoulay

    (MIT Sloan School of Management)

Abstract

We investigate the phenomenon of home bias in scientific citations, where researchers disproportionately cite work from their own country. We develop a benchmark for expected citations based on the relative size of countries, defining home bias as deviations from this norm. Our findings reveal that China exhibits the largest home bias across all major countries and in nearly all scientific fields studied. This stands in contrast to the pattern of home bias for China’s trade in goods and services, where China does not stand out from most industrialized countries. After adjusting citation counts for home bias, we demonstrate that China’s apparent rise in citation rankings is overstated. Our adjusted ranking places China fourth globally, behind the US, the UK, and Germany, tempering the perception of China’s scientific dominance.

Suggested Citation

  • Shumin Qiu & Claudia Steinwender & Pierre Azoulay, 2025. "Paper Tiger? Chinese Science and Home Bias in Citations," Rationality and Competition Discussion Paper Series 534, CRC TRR 190 Rationality and Competition.
    • Handle: RePEc:rco:dpaper:534
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Han & Gao, Yuan, 2026. "Transnational digital infrastructure and scientific collaboration: Evidence from the Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1) submarine cable," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Bergeaud, Antonin & Nur Gozen, Ruveyda & Van Reenen, John, 2026. "Mapping Technological Trajectories: Evidence from Two Centuries of Patent Data," CEPR Discussion Papers 21066, Centre for Economic Policy Research.
    3. Yang, Xiaoliang & Zhou, Peng, 2025. "Unveiling citation bias in economics: Taste-based discrimination against Chinese-authored papers," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

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    JEL classification:

    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F6 - International Economics - - Economic Impacts of Globalization
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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