After a star scientist dies, their collaborators publish fewer articles in the star’s field; however, articles by noncollaborators increase by 8% on average, according to a study led by Pierre Azoulay at MIT Sloan School of Management. These additional contributions are disproportionately likely to be highly cited, and they are also more likely to be authored by scientists who were not previously active in the deceased star’s field. The results suggest that outsiders are reluctant to challenge leadership within a field when the star is alive. Turnover in leadership enables the injection of fresh ideas into the field — but only when those within are willing to support and accept new ideas.
Source: Does Science Advance One Funeral at a Time?
