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From a historical perspective, knowledge about a taxonomic group can be judged by its publication rate. A zero rate may indicate a momentarily stalled interest in the group or a cessation of interest in it altogether (e.g., Kalodontidae Nopcsa, 1901), while a low rate suggests less than vigorous or meager research activity focused on the group (say, during a war or when there are few publishing scientists). Finally, a high publication rate may have many reasons, including new discoveries and new taxonomic recognition, and evolutionary controversy, to name a few.

Compilations of taxa are not new to studies of dinosaurs, or even tetrapods or invertebrates (Sepkoski et al., 1981; Benton, 1985, 1998; Dodson, 1990; Weishampel, 1996; Sepkoski, 2002; Fastovsky et al., 2004; Wang and Dodson, 2004). However, this present compilation and survey differs from previous varieties in that it focuses on the number of papers published and the research areas those papers address.

For Ornithopoda – the most abundant and diverse of which are hadrosaurids – the record of publication begins in 1825 with the publication of Mantell’s Iguanodon, and finishes with the numerous papers, some being issued via conventional journals as well as online-only journals, with no hard copies, of the present day. What this record looks like is presented in Figure 1.1. How it was obtained and how it is interpreted are the subjects of this chapter.

Caveat: although this volume is the product of a symposium dedicated predominantly to hadrosaurs, which includes hadrosaurids proper as well as hadrosauroids, it has been extended by the organizers to include iguanodontians as well. By stretching it slightly more to include iguanodontians, we are practically down to the base of Ornithopoda. Hence, this chapter is about hadrosaurs – and more.