Harmonic Allocation of Authorship Credit
Author Information
Author(s): Hagen Nils T., DeSalle Robert
Primary Institution: Bodø University College
Hypothesis
How can authorship credit be allocated fairly in multi-authored scientific publications?
Conclusion
Harmonic counting provides a transparent and accurate method for allocating authorship credit, correcting biases in bibliometric measures.
Supporting Evidence
- Harmonic counting corrects both inflationary and equalizing biases in authorship credit allocation.
- The harmonic h-index minimizes the range of overlap in h-index scores between associate and full professors.
- 80% of the staff's h-index scores were altered by counting bias.
- Harmonic counting provides a transparent protocol for bibliometric research evaluation.
Takeaway
This study shows a new way to give credit to authors of scientific papers so that everyone gets a fair amount based on their contribution.
Methodology
The study analyzed publication and citation records of 20 scientists using bibliometric measures to assess authorship credit allocation.
Potential Biases
Potential biases in authorship credit allocation could still exist if byline information is not accurately interpreted.
Limitations
The study relies on the assumption that authorship rank accurately reflects contribution, which may not always be true.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 11 associate professors and 9 full professors from the Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Bodø Regional University, Norway.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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