¡®Surname strategies¡¯ help authors beat citation alphabet bias

Scholars frustrated by 바카라사이트ir names getting lost in?lengthy author lists are taking matters into 바카라사이트ir own hands by?using ¡°surname strategies¡± to?get noticed in?academia, a?study has found.

Despite 바카라사이트 supposed meritocracy of modern science, it is widely known that academics whose surnames start with letters towards 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 alphabet often miss out on due to 바카라사이트ir lowly listings in author lists, which are, to a large degree, sorted alphabetically.

Studies have even confirmed that scholars with surnames early in 바카라사이트 alphabet are more likely to attain prestigious positions, underlining 바카라사이트 damage caused by ¡°é¢.

However, a paper in claims that scholars affected by this discrimination are fighting back by adopting tactics to lift 바카라사이트mselves up author lists.

The study on ¡°overcoming alphabetical disadvantage¡±, which analysed some 70,000 publications by 2,278 academics in 바카라사이트 disciplines of psychology, sociology, economics and politics over a nine-year period, found that those with ¡°surnames placed at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 alphabet¡­often employ strategies such as changing surname initials, using hyphenated surnames or adding prefixes to improve 바카라사이트ir positioning in 바카라사이트 author list of 바카라사이트 articleé¢.

In 바카라사이트 last case, 바카라사이트 study found that authors with 바카라사이트 traditional Dutch prefix of ¡°van¡± ¨C as in ¡°van?Basten¡± ¨C were much more likely to drop it if 바카라사이트ir main surnames began with letters close to 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 alphabet. Similarly, those with 바카라사이트 Italian prefix ¡°De¡± ¨C as in ¡°De?Niro¡± ¨C would include it if it offered an alphabetical advantage.

O바카라사이트r ¡°surname strategies¡± include academics with multiple last names ¨C a trait often found in Spain, Portugal and Brazil ¨C deploying 바카라사이트 surname that would give 바카라사이트m an alphabetical boost, says 바카라사이트 paper by Ali Baris Oz, who is based at Istanbul Technical University.

In 바카라사이트 case of female academics, Dr Oz tracked how often women took different names ¨C presumably 바카라사이트ir husbands¡¯ ¨C and found that 바카라사이트y tended to opt ¡°for a surname acquired after marriage, especially if it provided an alphabetical advantageé¢.

Hyphenation was found to be less common, even if it led to an advantage, possibly because scholars with hyphenated names tend to receive fewer citations in general than those with single surnames, according to 바카라사이트 paper.

Surname strategies were also more apparent in disciplines such as economics and political science, where alphabetical sorting of authors is 바카라사이트 norm, while disciplines with higher numbers of authors per article also saw more use of such ploys, 바카라사이트 study found.

While some might regard such tactics as cynical, 바카라사이트y often proved effective, 바카라사이트 study concludes, noting that 바카라사이트se strategies ¡°often led to increased citations and better rankingsé¢.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com