Exploring the relationship between interdisciplinarity and scientific breakthrough speed: a study based on Nobel Prize-winning papers

IF 3.5 2区管理学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS

Journal of Informetrics Pub Date : 2025-06-06 DOI:10.1016/j.joi.2025.101687

Deng Cheng, Zhang Xue

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Abstract

In the context of increasing interdisciplinary research trends, this study explores the relationship between interdisciplinarity and scientific breakthrough speed (SBS). We employ a “text topics-multiple disciplines” approach to quantify interdisciplinarity and utilize three indicators for measuring SBS: Highest degree to Significant contribution time (HSt), Significant contribution to Nobel Prize winning time (SNt), and Highest degree to Nobel Prize winning time (HNt). Focusing on Nobel laureates in the natural sciences from 1901 to 2023 and their Nobel Prize-winning research (NPw), we construct negative binomial regression models to analyze these variables. Our findings reveal that interdisciplinarity has no significant effect on HSt, but it significantly and positively affects SNt and HNt. This suggests that while interdisciplinary approaches do not delay the initial discovery process, they substantially extend the time required for scientific recognition and award. We also discuss the moderating role of Nobel Prize laureates’ imprint characteristics. Postdoctoral experience plays a negative moderating role in the above relationships, while the moderating effect of overseas experience is not significant.

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探索跨学科与科学突破速度的关系——基于诺贝尔奖获奖论文的研究

在跨学科研究趋势日益增强的背景下，本研究探讨了跨学科与科学突破速度（SBS）的关系。我们采用“文本主题-多学科”的方法来量化跨学科性，并利用三个指标来衡量SBS：对显著贡献时间的最高程度（HSt）、对诺贝尔奖获奖时间的显著贡献（SNt）和对诺贝尔奖获奖时间的最高程度（HNt）。以1901 - 2023年自然科学领域的诺贝尔奖获得者及其诺贝尔获奖研究为研究对象，构建负二项回归模型对这些变量进行分析。我们的研究结果表明，跨学科对HSt没有显著影响，但对SNt和HNt有显著的正向影响。这表明，虽然跨学科方法不会延迟最初的发现过程，但它们大大延长了获得科学认可和奖励所需的时间。本文还讨论了诺贝尔奖得主印记特征的调节作用。博士后经历在上述关系中起负向调节作用，海外经历的调节作用不显著。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Informetrics Social Sciences-Library and Information Sciences

CiteScore

6.40

自引率

16.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： Journal of Informetrics (JOI) publishes rigorous high-quality research on quantitative aspects of information science. The main focus of the journal is on topics in bibliometrics, scientometrics, webometrics, patentometrics, altmetrics and research evaluation. Contributions studying informetric problems using methods from other quantitative fields, such as mathematics, statistics, computer science, economics and econometrics, and network science, are especially encouraged. JOI publishes both theoretical and empirical work. In general, case studies, for instance a bibliometric analysis focusing on a specific research field or a specific country, are not considered suitable for publication in JOI, unless they contain innovative methodological elements.