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What is the optimal number of researchers for social science research?

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  • Jonathan M. Levitt

    (University of Wolverhampton)

Abstract

Many studies have found that co-authored research is more highly cited than single author research. This finding is policy relevant as it indicates that encouraging co-authored research will tend to maximise citation impact. Nevertheless, whilst the citation impact of research increase as the number of authors increases in the sciences, the extent to which this occurs in the social sciences is unknown. In response, this study investigates the average citation level of articles with one to four authors published in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2007 in 19 social science disciplines. The results suggest that whilst having at least two authors gives a substantial citation impact advantage in all social science disciplines, additional authors are beneficial in some disciplines but not in others.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan M. Levitt, 2015. "What is the optimal number of researchers for social science research?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(1), pages 213-225, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:102:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1007_s11192-014-1441-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-014-1441-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Jonathan M. Levitt & Mike Thelwall, 2016. "Long term productivity and collaboration in information science," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 108(3), pages 1103-1117, September.
    2. Huang, Mu-Hsuan & Chang, Yu-Wei, 2018. "Multi-institutional authorship in genetics and high-energy physics," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 505(C), pages 549-558.
    3. Damien Besancenot & Abdelghani Maddi, 2019. "Should citations be weighted to assess the influence of an academic article?," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 435(1), pages 435-445.
    4. Besancenot, Damien & Huynh, Kim & Serranito, Francisco, 2017. "Co-authorship and research productivity in economics: Assessing the assortative matching hypothesis," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 61-80.
    5. Buchmann, Tobias & Wolf, Patrick, 2024. "Breakthrough inventions in solar PV and wind technologies: The role of scientific discoveries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    6. Damien Besancenot & Kim Huynh & Francisco Serranito, 2015. "Co-Authorship And Individual Research Productivity In Economics: Assessing The Assortative Matching Hypothesis," Working Papers halshs-01252373, HAL.
    7. Yu-Wei Chang, 2021. "Characteristics of high research performance authors in the field of library and information science and those of their articles," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 3373-3391, April.
    8. repec:hal:cepnwp:halshs-01252373 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. repec:hal:cepnwp:hal-01922259 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Maja Jokić, 2020. "Productivity, visibility, authorship, and collaboration in library and information science journals: Central and Eastern European authors," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 122(2), pages 1189-1219, February.

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