Title
The Chaperone Effect In Scientific Publishing
Abstract
Experience plays a critical role in crafting high-impact scientific work. This is particularly evident in top multidisciplinary journals, where a scientist is unlikely to appear as senior author if he or she has not previously published within the same journal. Here, we develop a quantitative understanding of author order by quantifying this "chaperone effect," capturing how scientists transition into senior status within a particular publication venue. We illustrate that the chaperone effect has a different magnitude for journals in different branches of science, being more pronounced in medical and biological sciences and weaker in natural sciences. Finally, we show that in the case of high-impact venues, the chaperone effect has significant implications, specifically resulting in a higher average impact relative to papers authored by new principal investigators (PIs). Our findings shed light on the role played by experience in publishing within specific scientific journals, on the paths toward acquiring the necessary experience and expertise, and on the skills required to publish in prestigious venues.
Year
DOI
Venue
2018
10.1073/pnas.1800471115
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Keywords
DocType
Volume
science of science, scientific careers, mentorship
Journal
115
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
50
0027-8424
0
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.34
6
6
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Vedran Sekara172.21
Deville Pierre2844.10
Sebastian E. Ahnert3858.17
Albert-lászló Barabási446491107.35
Sinatra Roberta51128.65
Sune Lehmann644832.00