This study finds a bibliometric regularity in the finance literature that the number of authors publishing n papers is about 1/n(superscript "c") of those publishing one paper. The authors find that the finance literature conforms very well to the inverse square law(c = 2) if data are taken from a large collection of journals. When applied to individual finance journals, they find that values of c range from 1.95 to 3.26. They also find that top-rated journals have higher concentrations among their contributors. This implies that the phenomenon "success breeds success" is more common in higher-quality publications.

This study employs a stochastic model developed by G. Udny Yule and Herbert A. Simon as the probability mechanism underlying the consumer's choice of artistic products and predicts that artistic outputs will be concentrated among a few lucky individuals. We find that the probability distribution implied by the stochastic model provides an excellent description of the empirical data in the popular music industry, suggesting that the stochastic model may represent the process generating the superstar phenomenon. Because the stochastic model does not require differential talents among individuals, our empirical results support the notion that the superstar phenomenon could exist among individuals with equal talent.

This study finds that a strong bibliometric regularity exists in the publication pattern in the economics literature; the number of authors publishing n papers is approximately 1/n(superscript "c") of those publishing one paper. The economics literature conforms very well to the model with c = 1.84 if data are taken from a large collection of journals. When applied to individual journals, the result shows that values of c range from 2.04 to 3.11. This paper also reports the degree of author concentration among leading economics journals. Finally, this study finds that the graduates of three graduate programs account for more than half of the top 100 authors, indicates strong institutional dominance in the production of the most prolific authors.

This study finds a bibliometric regularity in the finance literature that the number of authors publishing n papers is about of those publishing one paper. We find that the finance literature conforms very well to the inverse square law if data are taken from a large collection of journals. When applied to individual finance journals, we find that values of c range from 1.95 to 3.26. We also find that top‐rated journals have higher concentrations among their contributors. This implies that the phenomenon “success breeds success” is more common in higher quality publications.