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Could small-team science be dying out?

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TL;DR - Nature reports that one- and two-author papers are rapidly declining in the Nature Index while publications from large teams surge, suggesting small-team science is becoming less common.

  • The analysis concerns authorship patterns in Nature Index publications.
  • Papers by only one or two authors represent a shrinking proportion of the index.
  • The provided excerpt does not specify causes, disciplines, or numerical results.
  • The trend matters because team size can shape how research is organized and conducted.

Sources (1)

Could small-team science be dying out?

Nature James Mitchell Crow 2026-07-23 doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02174-4

TL;DR - Nature reports that one- and two-author papers are rapidly declining in the Nature Index while publications from large teams surge, suggesting small-team science is becoming less common.

  • The analysis concerns authorship patterns in Nature Index publications.
  • Papers by only one or two authors represent a shrinking proportion of the index.
  • The provided excerpt does not specify causes, disciplines, or numerical results.
  • The trend matters because team size can shape how research is organized and conducted.
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