Assessing Co-Authored Papers in Tenure Decisions: Implications for Research Independence and Career Strategies in Economics

TL;DR

This paper investigates how solo and co-authored publications influence tenure decisions and long-term success in economics, emphasizing the nuanced effects of collaboration types and international partnerships.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on the impact of different authorship types and collaborations on research success, informing tenure evaluations and publication strategies.

Findings

Solo-authored papers boost long-term success and citations.

International collaborations are less negatively viewed than national ones.

International collaborations are increasing over time.

Abstract

In tenure decisions, the treatment of co-authored papers often raises questions about a candidate's research independence. This study examines the effects of solo versus collaborative authorship in high-profile Economics journals on long-term academic success. Our findings confirms the traditional belief that solo-authored publications significantly enhance long-term research output and citation impact compared to collaborative efforts. However, relative to solo-authored papers, international collaborations have a less negative impact on long-term success than national and institutional collaborations. Temporal trends highlight the increasing importance of diverse and international collaborations. These insights provide actionable guidance for tenure committees on evaluating co-authored work and for researchers on optimizing their publication strategies.