Pseudonyms, or pen names, represent a long-standing practice that extends beyond literary works into scientific and academic writing. They are part of a broader category of ”name-altering practices” common across creative fields, including ”pen names in literature, stage names in the performing arts, and aliases in music” [10]. These alternative identities serve multiple purposes in scholarly contexts, most commonly to ”maintain interviewee anonymity” in research involving human subjects [30]. From a linguistic perspective, pseudonyms belong to the broader category of anthroponyms—names given to humans—studied in the field of anthroponymy, a branch of onomastics. According to Anashkina et al., anthroponyms encompass ”personal name, patronymic name, surname, nickname, pseudonym, cryptonym, anthroponyms formed from ethnicons” [3].
Rachel So. Pen Names in Scientific Writing. Project Rachel, April 2025. https://doi.org/10.71775/kth.f4c3z-kq677