ABSTRACT
The appropriateness of procedural principles in matters of distribution is bound to depend on the specific purposes at issue with the distribution. The allocation of credit for discoveries affords an illuminating case study in this regard. With genuine teamwork, credit for the collective achievement belongs substantially to the entire team—that is to everyone. With teamwork, however, the interests of functional efficiency point in a different direction. Accordingly, the classic principle of fair-share proportionalism obtains in this setting, with credit being divided in line with individual claims. With factorable problems credit is thus a matter of division or partition. The classic precept of distributive justice obtains: to reach their due. The overall credit is fairly divided with shares proportionate to claims. Accordingly, the classic principle of fair-share proportionalism obtains in this setting, with credit being divided in line with individual claims.
