Exploring the potential of disruptive innovation in the social sciences: A quantitative study of its impact on societal visibility

Abstract

Scientific innovation serves as the driving force behind societal progress. In contrast to conservative innovation, disruptive innovation reshapes scientific paradigms and trajectories, significantly influencing both the scientific community and societal development. This study employs an extensive empirical dataset to explore the potential of disruptive innovation to enhance the societal visibility of scientific research. Our research reveals that disruptive innovation significantly enhances societal visibility, increasing it by 11.96% compared to consolidating innovation. Furthermore, disruptive innovation does not directly lead to early-stage "breakthroughs" in scientific endeavors, but it does have a notable "acceleration" effect on societal visibility. Particularly striking is its ability to promote visibility of scientific research on social media platforms such as Twitter and blogs. However, its influence is insignificant in news articles and policy documents. This phenomenon may be attributed to the high-risk nature of disruptive innovation, which conflicts with the high level of trust, professionalism, and certainty sought in news and policy. This study carries essential implications for selecting innovative directions, the channels through which innovation is disseminated, and the formulation of science policies.