Inequality in Scientific Performance: Adjustment for Attribution and Journal Impact

This paper examines the degree to which measured inequality in scientific output is sensitive to adjustments for attribution and the quality of the journal (as proxied by journal impact) in which the article appears. Data for the study come from the Survey of Doctorate Recipients and the Science Citation Index. Generally, we find that the adjustment for attribution only marginally affects inequality. In all instances, however, the adjustment for journal impact increases inequality by a statistically significant amount. The conclusions persist when the analysis is restricted to only those scientists who publish, and suggest that prolific scientists have not gained their status by `sharing' authorship, as is popularly imagined; neither have they traded quality for quantity by publishing in journals of lower impact. The data also allow for an examination of inequality by sector of employment. The analysis points to substantial differences in inequality between employment sectors, due largely to wide differences in the proportion of scientists publishing in the different sectors.