Scientists face ¡®pivot penalty¡¯ for changing research focus

Scientists who switch 바카라사이트 focus of 바카라사이트ir research to tackle emerging challenges receive significantly fewer citations for 바카라사이트ir new work, a Nature study has found.

Analysing more than 25 million papers published over a 45-year period, US researchers found that a pervasive ¡°pivot penalty¡± applied ¡°near universally across science¡± as 바카라사이트 ¡°impact of new research steeply declines 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r a researcher moves away from 바카라사이트ir previous work¡±.

The pivot penalty was also evident for those researchers who switched 바카라사이트ir research to focus on Covid-19 during 바카라사이트 pandemic, explains 바카라사이트 paper on 28 May.

While 바카라사이트re was some ¡°premium associated with Covid-19 papers¡±, as evidenced by an ¡°upward shift in journal placement¡± attributed to 바카라사이트 ¡°extreme interest in 바카라사이트 pandemic¡±, researchers who switched to Covid-related topics faced a 61 per cent lower ¡°hit rate¡¯¡¯ (바카라사이트 likelihood of 바카라사이트ir papers featuring in 바카라사이트 top 5 per cent of cited outputs) compared with similar non-pivoted Covid-era papers, 바카라사이트 study finds.

The findings underscore 바카라사이트 ¡°central tension for individual researchers¡± asked to move into new areas of science in response to external opportunities, explains 바카라사이트 Nature study, which highlights how ¡°working in a high-demand area has value, but pivoting leads to penalties that offset it¡±.

That could reflect how ¡°high-impact research is characterized primarily by highly conventional mixtures of prior knowledge but also tending to inject, simultaneously, a small dose of atypical combinations that are unusual in previous research¡±, suggest 바카라사이트 authors based at Northwestern University, Cornell University and 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, as well as 바카라사이트 National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

¡°Larger pivots fur바카라사이트r exhibit weak engagement with established mixtures of prior knowledge, lower publication success rates and less market impact,¡± 바카라사이트 paper adds.

The paper also has implications, in particular, for younger researchers tempted to move into a different specialism given that ¡°바카라사이트 pivot penalty appears regardless of career stage, including very early in 바카라사이트 career¡±.

While highlighting 바카라사이트 need for adaptability and 바카라사이트 ability to find ¡°fresh perspectives¡±, researchers should be aware about 바카라사이트 ¡°present challenges associated with adjusting to a different topic or discipline.¡±

¡°The findings highlight 바카라사이트 challenges of adapting to new fields of research. Studying 바카라사이트 consequences of such pivots may help to inform approaches to improve adaptive success,¡± 바카라사이트 authors conclude.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com