First-Author Determinants

Abstract

We report the results of an empirical analysis of name ordering strategies used for multi-authored academic papers in economics. We distinguish two name-ordering outcomes: alphabetic and non -alphabetic. We investigate two questions. (1) What are the determinants of an author group's name ordering? And (2) Is scientific output affected by the relative alphabetic position of one's last name, given the dominant usage of alphabetic name ordering in our profession? We find that author groups clearly account for the relative individual costs and benefits of being a first author when positioning authors of a group: Economists perceive name ordering as a deliberate decision. The usefulness of this deliberation is supported by the answer to our second question: is scientific output higher for authors whose names rank first in the alphabet? Career prospects are indeed better for academic economists who have high chances to be a first author. This productivity effect does not become visible in the beginning of one's career: it turns out to be a reputation or visibility effect and it therefore only shows up when an economist's career is more advanced.