"First Author Conditions"
BY: MAXIM ENGERS
University of Virginia, Arts and Sciences
Department of Economics
JOSHUA GANS
University of Melbourne
SIMON GRANT
Australian National University
STEPHEN KING
University of Melbourne, Faculties Economics and
Commerce
Department of Economics
Document: Available from the SSRN Electronic Paper Collection:
http://papers.ssrn.com/paper.taf?abstract_id=90728
Date: May 1998
Contact: JOSHUA GANS
Email: Mailto:j.gans at mbs.unimelb.edu.au
Postal: University of Melbourne
Melbourne Business School
200 Leicester Street
Carlton, VIC3053 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61-3-9349-8146
Fax: +61-3-9349-8133
Co-Auth: MAXIM ENGERS
Email: Mailto:maxim at virginia.edu
Postal: University of Virginia, Arts and Sciences
Department of Economics
Rouss Hall #114, Room 114
Charlottesville, VA 22903 USA
Co-Auth: SIMON GRANT
Email: Mailto:simon.grant at anu.edu.au
Postal: Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 0200 AUSTRALIA
Co-Auth: STEPHEN KING
Email: Mailto:s.king at ecomfac.unimelb.edu.au
Postal: University of Melbourne, Faculties Economics and Commerce
Department of Economics
Parkville Victoria, 3052 AUSTRALIA
ABSTRACT:
This paper provides a theoretical explanation for the persistent
use of alphabetical name-orderings on academic papers in
economics. In a context where market participants are interested
in evaluating the relative individual contribution of authors,
it is an equilibrium for papers to use alphabetical ordering.
Moreover, it is never an equilibrium for authors always to be
listed in order of relative contribution. In fact, we show via
an example that the alphabetical name-ordering norm may be the
unique equilibrium, although, multiple equilibria are also
possible. Finally, we characterize the welfare properties of the
noncooperative equilibrium and show it to produce research of
lower quality than is optimal and than would be achieved if
co-authors were forced to use name-ordering to signal relative
contribution.
JEL Classification: A11, D21