Contribution of postdoctoral fellows to fast-moving and competitive scientific research

This study explores the prevalence of postdoctoral fellows in fast-moving and competitive scientific research. We use the results of a new and original large-scale survey of scientists in Japan and the United States for the analyses. Descriptive statistics show that, in both Japan and the United Sta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of technology transfer 2015-08, Vol.40 (4), p.723-741
Main Authors: Igami, Masatsura, Nagaoka, Sadao, Walsh, John P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Business and Management
Citation analysis
Citations
Commercial Law
Economic Growth
Graduate students
Industrial Organization
Innovation/Technology Management
Management
Nobel prizes
R&D
Research & development
Response rates
Science
Scientists
Statistics
Stem cells
Students
Studies
Superconductivity
Teams
Technology transfer
Time lag
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Summary:This study explores the prevalence of postdoctoral fellows in fast-moving and competitive scientific research. We use the results of a new and original large-scale survey of scientists in Japan and the United States for the analyses. Descriptive statistics show that, in both Japan and the United States: (1) the mean citation time lag was shorter by about 2 years in the highly cited papers (top 1 %) compared to other normal papers; and (2) the perceived degree of competitive threat was also higher for the projects producing the highly cited papers compared to those for normal papers. We also found that the likelihood of participation of postdoctoral fellows is significantly higher in research with shorter mean time lag and higher competitive threat (while that of students is not), controlling for author size, suggesting that postdoctoral fellows are especially prevalent in research efforts in fast-moving and competitive scientific research.
ISSN:0892-9912
0892-9912
1573-7047
DOI:10.1007/s10961-014-9366-7