The sum of it all: Revealing collaboration patterns by combining authorship and acknowledgements. Issue 1 (February 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Paul-Hus, Adèle; Mongeon, Philippe; Sainte-Marie, Maxime; Larivière, Vincent
• Is Part Of: Journal of informetrics. Volume 11:Issue 1(2017:Feb.)
• Page Start: 80
• Page End: 87
• Publication Date: 2017-02
• Subjects: Collaboration -- Co-authorship -- Acknowledgements -- Credit attribution; Library statistics -- Periodicals; Information science -- Statistical methods -- Periodicals; Bibliometrics -- Periodicals; Bibliothèques -- Statistiques -- Périodiques; Sciences de l'information -- Méthodes statistiques -- Périodiques; Bibliométrie -- Périodiques; 020.727
• DOI: 10.1016/j.joi.2016.11.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-1577

Abstract

Highlights: Analyses disciplinary differences in researchers' credit attribution practices in collaborative context by combining co-authors and acknowledgees. Traditional differences observed between disciplines in terms of team size are greatly reduced when acknowledgees are taken into account. Broadening the measurement of collaboration by including acknowledgements might provide a more accurate assessment of collaboration practices. Abstract: Acknowledgments are one of many conventions by which researchers publicly bestow recognition towards individuals, organizations and institutions that contributed in some way to the work that led to publication. Combining data on both co-authors and acknowledged individuals, the present study analyses disciplinary differences in researchers' credit attribution practices in collaborative context. Our results show that the important differences traditionally observed between disciplines in terms of team size are greatly reduced when acknowledgees are taken into account. Broadening the measurement of collaboration beyond co-authorship by including individuals credited in the acknowledgements allows for an assessment of collaboration practices and team work that might be closer to the reality of contemporary research, especially in the social sciences and humanities.