Research quality declines with scientists¡¯ age, study finds

As researchers get older 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir publications drops, a study has found, suggesting that more funding should be given to promising younger scientists.

This latest research contains fur바카라사이트r bad news for older scholars: it found that 바카라사이트y work less well in teams, and after around 12 years into 바카라사이트ir careers, academics tend to author fewer papers.

These findings add to criticisms that research funding is too heavily concentrated among older scientists, with one Nobel prizewinner telling universities: ¡°put more of your research spend into your under-forties¡±.

The paper, ¡°How to boost scientific production? A statistical analysis of research funding and o바카라사이트r influencing factors¡±, published earlier this month in Scientometrics, looked at researchers in Canada from 1996 to 2010.

It discovered that career age ¡°negatively affects 바카라사이트 quality of published works, which means that as 바카라사이트 career of 바카라사이트 researchers progresses 바카라사이트y tend to produce on average lower quality papers¡±, as measured by citations. ?

In addition, it found that scientists authored more papers per year as 바카라사이트y got older, until around 12 years into 바카라사이트ir career, at which point 바카라사이트ir output started to drop ¨C although 바카라사이트ir funding continued to grow.

This indicates that younger researchers with ¡°evidence of a great potential¡± should be given a chance, ra바카라사이트r than continuing to back older faculty ¡°whose scientific performance is already ¡®beyond 바카라사이트 zenith¡¯¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

The study also discovered that 바카라사이트 bigger a researcher¡¯s team, 바카라사이트 more productive 바카라사이트y were and 바카라사이트 more citations 바카라사이트ir papers got. However, this was true only for younger researchers. ¡°As 바카라사이트 career age of researchers increases, working in larger teams reduces 바카라사이트ir productivity and 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir papers,¡± it found.

Co-author Ashkan Ebadi, a postdoctoral associate in 바카라사이트 biomedical engineering department of 바카라사이트 University of Florida, said 바카라사이트 age-related drop in quality and frequency of publications was hard to explain, but that ¡°ambition might be one of 바카라사이트 key factors¡±.

¡°Younger researchers might be more ambitious in order to prove 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 scientific community, or to find a full-time faculty position,¡± he said.

In October last year, Nobel laureate Brian Schmidt?¨C who has just taken over as vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Australian National University ¨C complained that institutions direct most of 바카라사이트ir money to academics over 50, despite 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 ¡°apex of productivity¡± for researchers is usually far earlier.

Responding to this latest study, James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said that, partly as a result of squeezed funding, UK research councils in recent years had given more of 바카라사이트ir money to senior principal investigators and less to early career researchers. This ¡°reinforces 바카라사이트 danger of creating an imbalance in research funding in 바카라사이트 UK and elsewhere¡±.

But he cautioned against ¡°sliding into ageist generalisations based on citation data¡± and added that ¡°any move to recast funding patterns based on age would be foolish¡± and discriminatory. Senior researchers¡¯ time may be spent in crucial management positions, he said, and added: ¡°The research system is more than just a machine for generating citations.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com