Postwar growth in the length of astronomical and other scientific papers

Changes in the average length of papers and letters/short contributions in English-language astronomy, mathematics, and physical-science journals since about 1900 are investigated statistically. The results are presented in tables and graphs, and sharp increases are observed for the period 1945-1984, including a 64-percent increase in paper length 1945-1984, a 26-percent increase in letter length 1975-1984, and a 76-percent increase in letter length 1965-1984. Interpretations of these findings by the author and two historians of science, two editors of scientific journals, and one distinguished astronomer are summarized. Factors considered include both social phenomena, such as publishing budgets, manuscript-preparation techniques, language skills, and institutional pressure to publish, and the possibility of a real increase in the amount of scientific information in each paper.