Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of scientific productivity: Ambiguities in the assignment of author rank

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Methodological implications of four accounting procedures applied in multiple authorship treatment relating to author productivity distribution were investigated. The emphasis was given to the individual author rank and inequality pattern of data. It was found that similar pattern of inequality holds in three of the four analysed cases, in spite of the fact that significant changes were observed on the individual level. By introducing the concept of dual approach a plausible interpretation of that phenomenon was obtained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A.I. Yablonsky, On fundamental regularities of the distribution of scientific productivity,Scientometrics 2 (1980) 3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. J. Vlachý, Evaluating the distribution of individual performance,Scientia Yugoslavica, 6 (1980) 155.

    Google Scholar 

  3. J. Vlachý, On publication characteristics of research establishments,Czechoslovak Journal of Physics, B20 (1970) 1149.

    Google Scholar 

  4. D. De Solla Price, A general theory of bibliometric and other cumulative advantage processes,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 27 (1976) 292.

    Google Scholar 

  5. D Lindsey, Production and citation measures in the sociology of science: The problem of multiple authorship,Social Studies of Science, 10 (1980) 145.

    Google Scholar 

  6. J.S. Long, R. McGinnis, On adjusting productivity measures for multiple authorship,Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 379.

    Google Scholar 

  7. D. Lindsey, Further evidence for adjusting for multiple authorship,Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 389.

    Google Scholar 

  8. J.S. Long, R. McGinnis, Further evidence for adjusting for multiple authorship,Scientometrics, 4 (1982) 397.

    Google Scholar 

  9. N. Pravdić, V. Oluić-Vuković, Dual approach to multiple authorship in the study of collaboration/scientific output relationship,Scientometrics, 10 (1986) 259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. S.S. Kyvik, Productivity differences, fields of learning, and Lotka's law,Scientometrics, 15 (1989) 205.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. L. Egghe, Consequences of Lotka's law for the law of Bradford,Journal of Documentation, 41 (1985) 173.

    Google Scholar 

  12. P.T. Nicholls, Price's square root law: Empirical validity and relation of Lotka's law,Information Processing and Management, 24 (1988) 469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. H. Eto, P.M. Candelaria, Applicability of the Bradford distribution to international science and technology indicators,Scientometrics, 11 (1987) 27.

    Google Scholar 

  14. M.L. Pao, An empirical examination of Lotka's law,Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 37 (1985) 26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. V. Oluić-Vuković, Impact of productivity increase on the distribution pattern of journals,Scientometrics, 17 (1989) 97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M.J. Moravcsik, Life in a multidimensional world,Scientometrics, 6 (1984) 75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Information Sciences (formerly: Referral Centre of the University of Zagreb), P.O. Box 327, 41001, Zagreb, Croatia

    Nevenka Pravdic & Vesna Oluic-Vukovic

Authors
  1. Nevenka Pravdic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Vesna Oluic-Vukovic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Dedicated to the memory of Michael J. Moravcsik

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pravdic, N., Oluic-Vukovic, V. Distribution of scientific productivity: Ambiguities in the assignment of author rank. Scientometrics 20, 131–144 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02018151

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02018151

Keywords

Search

Navigation