Paratexts and Documentary Practices

Abstract

The formal literature of science has traditionally acted as a “ledger” where debts are acknowledged, previous works are cited, and advances in knowledge are claimed. Recent innovation in electronic publishing, as well as open access requirements from funding agencies in the life sciences, is making it possible to examine this ledger more closely: we can now more definitively ask who is acknowledged, where do citations appear, and what knowledge is claimed within an entire discipline, journal or archive of publications. In this chapter, the authors explore the ledger of bioinformatics, asking how two paratexts—acknowledgment and authorship statements—can be used to understand credit and collaboration within this unique field.