How long was the text of the shortest academic article ever published?

For an academic article, "The Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of a Case of ‘Writer's Block’” by psychologist Dennis Upper (pictured), is a very, very quick read. The piece is about writer's block and contains zero words of text. The content consists just of a title, journal formatting elements, and a humorous footnote. It was published in the 1974 volume of a peer reviewed journal, “Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,” (published by Wiley-Blackwell) and is recognised as the shortest academic article ever. It is also a classic example of humour in science or, at least, humour among behavioural psychologists. The zero-word article has been cited more than one hundred times.

When it was submitted to the journal for possible publication, Dr Upper’s article received a humorous positive review that recommended acceptance. The review was published alongside the article: “I have studied this manuscript very carefully with lemon juice and X-rays and have not detected a single flaw in either design or writing style. I suggest it be published without revision. Clearly, it is the most concise manuscript I have ever seen - yet it contains sufficient detail to allow other investigators to replicate Dr Upper's failure. In comparison with the other manuscripts I get from you containing all that complicated detail, this one was a pleasure to examine. Surely we can find a place for this paper in the Journal - perhaps on the edge of a blank page.”