Co-authorship in Chemistry at the Turn of the 20th Century: The Case of Theodore W. Richards

TY - JOUR

T1 - Co-authorship in Chemistry at the Turn of the 20th Century

T2 - The Case of Theodore W. Richards

AU - Wray, K. Brad

PY - 2024/4

Y1 - 2024/4

N2 - It is widely recognized that conceptual and theoretical innovations and the employment of new instruments and experimental techniques are important factors in explaining the growth of scientific knowledge in chemistry. This study examines another dimension of research in chemistry, collaboration and co-authorship. I focus specifically on Theodore Richards’ career and publications. During the period in which Richards worked, co-authorship was beginning to become more common than it had been previously. Richards was the first American chemist to be awarded a Nobel Prize and he was at the forefront in this new trend in chemistry. He collaborated more than was typical for his time, with many scientists, in different sized groups, and he often had persistent collaborative relationships, extending over a number of years. Further, it appears that these collaborations benefited Richards, his collaborators, and the field of chemistry as a whole.

AB - It is widely recognized that conceptual and theoretical innovations and the employment of new instruments and experimental techniques are important factors in explaining the growth of scientific knowledge in chemistry. This study examines another dimension of research in chemistry, collaboration and co-authorship. I focus specifically on Theodore Richards’ career and publications. During the period in which Richards worked, co-authorship was beginning to become more common than it had been previously. Richards was the first American chemist to be awarded a Nobel Prize and he was at the forefront in this new trend in chemistry. He collaborated more than was typical for his time, with many scientists, in different sized groups, and he often had persistent collaborative relationships, extending over a number of years. Further, it appears that these collaborations benefited Richards, his collaborators, and the field of chemistry as a whole.

KW - collaboration

KW - co-authorship

KW - Theodore Richards

KW - scientific publication

KW - chemistry

KW - atomic weight

U2 - 10.1007/s10698-023-09491-w

DO - 10.1007/s10698-023-09491-w

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1386-4238

VL - 26

SP - 75

EP - 88

JO - Foundations of Chemistry: Philosophical, Historical, Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies of Chemistry

JF - Foundations of Chemistry: Philosophical, Historical, Educational and Interdisciplinary Studies of Chemistry

IS - 1

M1 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10698-023-09491-w

ER -