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—The Researcher as a Consumer of Scientific Publications: How Do Name-Ordering Conventions Affect Inferences About Contribution Credits?

Author

Listed:
  • Boris Maciejovsky

    (Imperial College Business School, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom)

  • David V. Budescu

    (Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois 61820, and Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, New York 10458)

  • Dan Ariely

    (Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708)

Abstract

When researchers from different fields with different norms collaborate, the question arises of how name-ordering conventions are chosen and how they affect contribution credits. In this paper, we answer these questions by studying two disciplines that exemplify the two cornerstones of name-ordering conventions: lexicographical ordering (i.e., alphabetical ordering, endorsed in economics) and nonlexicographical ordering (i.e., ordering according to individual contributions, endorsed in psychology). Inferences about credits are unambiguous in the latter arrangement but imperfect in the former, because alphabetical listing can reflect ordering according to individual contributions by chance. We contrast the fields of economics and psychology with marketing, a discipline heavily influenced by both. Based on archival data, consisting of more than 38,000 journal articles, we show that the three fields have different ordering practices. In two empirical studies with 351 faculty and graduate student participants from all three disciplines, as well as in a computer simulation, we show that ordering practices systematically affect and shape the allocation of perceived contributions and credit. Whereas strong disciplinary norms in economics and psychology govern the allocation of contribution credits, a more heterogeneous picture emerges for marketing. This lack of strong norms has detrimental effects in terms of assigned contribution credits.

Suggested Citation

  • Boris Maciejovsky & David V. Budescu & Dan Ariely, 2009. "—The Researcher as a Consumer of Scientific Publications: How Do Name-Ordering Conventions Affect Inferences About Contribution Credits?," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 589-598, 05-06.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormksc:v:28:y:2009:i:3:p:589-598
    DOI: 10.1287/mksc.1080.0406
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Por nuestros nombres nos conoceréis (o no)
      by Pedro Rey Biel in Nada Es Gratis on 2018-05-03 04:50:43

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    9. Yannick Berker, 2018. "Golden-ratio as a substitute to geometric and harmonic counting to determine multi-author publication credit," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 114(3), pages 839-857, March.
    10. Daniel Garcia & Joshua Serman, 2015. "Norms and Team Formation: Evidence from Research Partnerships," Vienna Economics Papers 1511, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    11. Lana Bošnjak & Ana Marušić, 2012. "Prescribed practices of authorship: review of codes of ethics from professional bodies and journal guidelines across disciplines," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 93(3), pages 751-763, December.
    12. João M. Fernandes & Paulo Cortez, 2020. "Alphabetic order of authors in scholarly publications: a bibliometric study for 27 scientific fields," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 125(3), pages 2773-2792, December.
    13. Li, Ang & Li, Ben, 2021. "Alphabetic norm and research output," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 50-60.
    14. Daniel Garcia & Joshua Sherman, 2015. "Norms and Team Formation: Evidence from Research Partnerships," Vienna Economics Papers vie1511, University of Vienna, Department of Economics.
    15. Nils T. Hagen, 2010. "Harmonic publication and citation counting: sharing authorship credit equitably – not equally, geometrically or arithmetically," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(3), pages 785-793, September.
    16. Liu, Xuan Zhen & Fang, Hui, 2023. "A geometric counting method adaptive to the author number," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 17(2).
    17. Kerl, Alexander & Miersch, Enrico & Walter, Andreas, 2018. "Evaluation of academic finance conferences," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 26-38.
    18. Hagen, Nils T., 2013. "Harmonic coauthor credit: A parsimonious quantification of the byline hierarchy," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 784-791.
    19. Frandsen, Tove Faber & Nicolaisen, Jeppe, 2010. "What is in a name? Credit assignment practices in different disciplines," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 608-617.
    20. António Osório, 2018. "On the impossibility of a perfect counting method to allocate the credits of multi-authored publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 2161-2173, September.
    21. Jacob Goldenberg & Barak Libai & Eitan Muller & Stefan Stremersch, 2010. "Database Submission—The Evolving Social Network of Marketing Scholars," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 561-567, 05-06.

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