Smaller, more specific academic journals have more sway over policy

Journals focused on ferns, clams, or coral reefs had proportionally more of their articles cited by the federal government when protecting species than more prominent, higher-impact journals. The naturalist stepping through old-growth forest collecting fern samples is the most likely to observe subtle species and habitat changes on the ground and find an outlet in a specialized journal willing to publish a species-specific article.

source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/10/241017172948.htm