Thomson Scientific Takes a Fresh Look at Multiauthor Papers

Thomson Scientific Takes a Fresh Look at Multiauthor Papers

November 28, 2007

Was 2005 a Fluke for Multiauthor Papers or a Sign of What's
to Come?


    PHILADELPHIA and LONDON, Nov. 28 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Thomson Scientific, part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE:
TOC; TSX: TOC) and leading provider of information
solutions to the worldwide research and business
communities, today announced the results of a study
assessing trends in multiauthor papers. In the
November/December issue of Science Watch, Thomson
Scientific analyzes data from its Thomson Science
Indicators to evaluate the number of papers with more than
50, 100, 200 and 500 authors between the years 1993 to
2006. Science Watch uses unique citation data to provide
rankings, interviews and reports on today's most
significant science.

    The numbers of scientific papers published with more
than 50, 100, 200 and 500 authors plateaued from 2000 to
2003, then experienced a sharp increase in 2005. That year,
each group reached its all-time highest levels. More than
750 papers with 50 or more authors were published in 2005,
compared with a little more than 500 the previous year.
Papers with more than 100 authors grew by more than 50
percent from 200 from just over 300 in 2003 to an
impressive 475 in 2005. Interestingly, papers with 500 or
more authors increased from 40 in 2003 to 131 in 2005. This
group saw the largest jump of all -- a 200 percent increase.


    While 2005 saw great leaps in the total number of
multiauthor papers, most of the totals for the assorted
groupings of multiauthor papers showed a decline during
2006 -- the most recent year of available data. 

    "In a few years we will be able to look back and
see if the multiauthor papers reached a zenith in 2005 or
if this is an ongoing trend," said Christopher King,
editor of Science Watch. "It is important to note that
we currently are able to identify some general trends. For
example, the mean number of authors per Thomson Scientific
indexed paper is continuing its upward trend reaching 3.8
in 2006. On the flipside, the percentage of single-authored
papers continued its descent and is now at 24 percent of all
published papers."

    In order to convey the general makeup of recent
multiauthor papers, Thomson Scientific divided the papers
with more than 100 authors into two main groupings:
physical sciences and biomedicine. The physical science
group increased its volume by 144 in 2005 to total 393.
(The majority of these papers were in the main field of
physics.) Meanwhile, the number of biomedicine papers with
100 or more authors declined from 41 in 2004 to 19 in
2006.

    This Science Watch study also highlights individual
papers that had the highest number of authors. In 1987, a
paper with 200 authors took the prize, and each year has
seen the winning number increase. In 2000, the
most-multiauthored paper had 918 contributors. The paper
taking top honors in 2006 had 2,512 authors.

    About The Thomson Corporation

    The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com) is a global
leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions
to business and professional customers. With operational
headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides
value-added information, software tools and applications to
professionals in the fields of law, tax, accounting,
financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The
Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and
Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).

    Thomson Scientific is a business of The Thomson
Corporation. Its information solutions assist professionals
at every stage of research and development -- from discovery
to analysis to product development and distribution. Thomson
Scientific information solutions can be found at
http://scientific.thomson.com.

    NOTE: For information on subscribing to Science Watch,
contact Christopher King, tel: [phone]


    For more information, please contact:

     Susan Besaw
     Thomson Scientific
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]