Hyperprolific Authors

Number of scientists who published at least 72 papers—one paper every five days—in any calendar year between 2000 and 2016. About half of them work in biomedicine.

Dollars given by Chinese universities to Chinese scholars for papers published in high-impact journals. Cash incentives may be a driving force for hyperprolific authors from many countries. Malaysia and Saudi Arabia offer these bounties, although China banned the practice in 2020. 

Percentage of hyperprolific authors who said they made minor contributions on at least 25% of those papers. Only 1 in 10, however, said they didn’t approve the final versions of most of their publications.

Increase in published papers, on average, by cardiologists when they become directors of major research or clinical centers. While research time typically goes down in these positions, leaders often receive credit for research performed under their watch—a possible contributor to hyperprolific tallies.

Percentage of researchers who admitted to adding “honorary” authors to their manuscripts even though those authors did not deserve credit. The names were added to papers as a compliment to a mentor, to avoid conflicts at work or to increase the likelihood of a major journal accepting the manuscript.