Journal Article: “The Chaperone Effect in Scientific Publishing”

The following article was recently published by PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).
Title
The Chaperone Effect In Scientific Publishing
Authors
Vedran Sekara
Pierre Deville
Sebastian Ahnert
Albert-László Barabási
Roberta Sinatra
Sune Lehmann
Source
PNAS December 11, 2018
115 (50) 12603-12607
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800471115

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 they have 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 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 PIs. Our findings shed light on the role played by experience in publishing within specific scientific journals, on the paths towards acquiring the necessary experience and expertise, and on the skills required to publish in prestigious venues.

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