The proportion of co-authored research articles has risen markedly in recent decades

The proportion of multi-authored papers in the social sciences has risen steadily over recent decades. But what are the reasons behind such a marked increase? Lukas Kuld and John O'Hagan consider a number of explanations, from increased academic specialisation and more affordable communication and travel, to the pressures of publication and an inclination among authors to spread the risks of research assessment across a number of articles. These trends also pose an interesting academic policy question: to what extent should academic hiring and promotional bodies apply a discount for articles with many authors?