Editing Social Science Research Network (section)

== History ==
SSRN was founded in 1994 by [[Michael C. Jensen]] and Wayne Marr, both [[financial economics|financial economists]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rbj.net/2016/06/03/dutch-company-acquires-firm-in-brighton/|title=Dutch company acquires firm in Brighton|last=Feltner|first=Kerry|date=2016-06-03|website=Rochester Business Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-21}}</ref> 

In January 2013, SSRN was ranked the largest open-access repository in the world by Ranking Web of Repositories (an initiative of the [[Cybermetrics Lab]], a research group belonging to the [[Spanish National Research Council]]),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://repositories.webometrics.info/en/world|title=World|date=January 2013|publisher=Cybermetrics Lab|work=Ranking Web of Repositories|access-date=11 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629031236/http://repositories.webometrics.info/en/world|archive-date=2013-06-29}}</ref> measured by number of PDF files, backlinks and [[Google Scholar]] results.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://repositories.webometrics.info/en/Methodology|title=Methodology|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701033427/http://repositories.webometrics.info/en/Methodology|archive-date=2013-07-01}}</ref>

In May 2016, SSRN was bought from Social Science Electronic Publishing Inc. by [[Elsevier]].<ref name=":0" /> On 17 May 2016, the SSRN founder and chairman [[Michael C. Jensen]] wrote a letter to the SSRN community in which he cited SSRN CEO Gregg Gordon's post on the Elsevier Connect<ref>[https://www.elsevier.com/connect/ssrn-the-leading-social-science-and-humanities-repository-and-online-community-joins-elsevier Elsevier Connect]</ref> and the "new opportunities" coming from the fusion,<ref name="SSRN in Elsevier">{{cite web|url=https://www.elsevier.com/connect/ssrn-the-,leading-social-science-and-humanities-repository-and-online-community-joins-elsevier|title=Photo|trans-title=SSRN—the leading social science and humanities repository and online community—joins Elsevier|author= Gregg Gordon|date =May 17, 2016}}</ref> such as a broader global network and the freedom "to upload and download papers" (with more data, more resources, as well as new management tools). While predicting "some conflicts" on the interests alignment of the former competitors, he defined them as "surmountable".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ssrn.com/index.cfm/en/ssrn-joins-mendeley-elsevier/ |title=From The Desk of Michael C. Jensen, Chairman|date=May 17, 2016|publisher=SSRN |author=Michael C. Jensen}}</ref>

In July 2016 there were reports of papers being removed from SSRN without notice; revision comments from SSRN indicated this was due to copyright concerns.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20160718/02211935003/just-as-open-competitor-to-elseviers-ssrn-launches-ssrn-accused-copyright-crackdown.shtml|title=Just as Open Competitor to Elsevier's SSRN Launches, SSRN Accused Of Copyright Crackdown|publisher=[[Techdirt]] |last=Masnick|first=Mike|date=18 July 2016 |access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref> Gordon characterized the issue as a mistake affecting about 20 papers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/07/19/social-science-research-network-confusion-leads-calls-boycott |title='There Isn't Some Big Conspiracy Happening' |website=Inside Higher Ed|last=Straumsheim|first=Carl|date=19 July 2016 |access-date=6 August 2016}}</ref>