  Bibliographic data is a rich source of information that goes beyond the use
cases of location and citation -- it also encodes both cultural and
technological context. For most of its existence, the scholarly record has
changed slowly and hence provides an opportunity to gain insight through its
reflection of the cultural norms of the research community over the last four
centuries. While it is often difficult to distinguish the originating driver of
change, it is still valuable to consider the motivating influences that have
led to changes in the structure of the scholarly record. An "initial era" is
identified during which initials were used in preference to full names by
authors on scholarly communications. Causes of the emergence and demise of this
era are considered as well as the implications of this era on research culture
and practice.
