It was a splendid, magnanimous compliment from a modest 15-author team to two teams of 16 authors apiece. What happened in 1986 we have yet to learn. As a regular reader of NEJM, my impression is that things have improved. Certainly, 1987 began quietly with a six-piece band as the largest group of authors in the first issue of the year. In the scientific literature at large, however, the problem of multiple authorship remains formidable. With the arguable exception of particle physics, in which international collaborations can genuinely orchestrate the labors of dozens of researchers, it is hard to believe that many alleged joint authors have made sufficient contributions to justify that reward. Does the technician who takes the electron micrographs using standard techniques really merit equal recognition alongside the scientist who interprets the pictures and designs the experiments in the first place?
The obvious fraternity to sort out this ...
