Authorship in science: A critical analysis from a Foucauldian perspective Articles uri icon

authors

  • Mara Hilario, Carla
  • MARTINEZ AVILA, DANIEL
  • CABRINI GRACIO, MARIA CLAUDIA
  • Wolfram, Dietmar

publication date

  • December 2017

start page

  • 63

end page

  • 72

issue

  • 2

volume

  • 27

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0958-2029

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1471-5449

abstract

  • This article aims to contribute to the discussion on authorship in contemporary science from Foucauldian and Kuhnian perspectives, highlighting the social aspects of science and the role of authorship in scientific revolutions. Thus, it describes the functions of the 'author' discussed by Foucault that can assist to reveal the characteristics of the scientific practice and examples of how theories are materialized. As a result, it identifies the ways in which modern science is developed and how knowledge is construed by multiple authors, group authors, the merit that is attributed by citations, etc. This article highlights the complexity of authorship attribution and the need to rethink generalized bibliometric techniques to evaluate science considering other aspects that go beyond the mere listing of the authors.

keywords

  • authorship; foucault; kuhn; sociology of science; scientometrics