Tiny Research Teams Fade as Big Collaborations Proliferate
An analysis of Nature Index data (2015–2024) shows the share of one- and two-author papers fell from 10.8% to 7.1%, while papers with 3–50 authors rose, indicating a shift toward large, multi-author teams across the natural and health sciences; funding incentives, infrastructure needs, and increasing research specialization are driving this trend, with patterns varying by country and field (Japan showing relative stability, while the US, UK, Germany and South Korea show declines in small-team output).
