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Is science driven by principal investigators?

Author

Listed:
  • Andrej Kastrin

    (University of Ljubljana)

  • Jelena Klisara

    (University of Ljubljana)

  • Borut Lužar

    (Faculty of Information Studies in Novo mesto
    Pavol J. Šafárik University)

  • Janez Povh

    (University of Ljubljana)

Abstract

In this paper we consider the question what is the scientific and career performance of principal investigators (PI’s) of publicly funded research projects compared to scientific performance of all researchers. Our study is based on high quality data about (1) research projects awarded in Slovenia in the period 1994–2016 (7508 projects with 2725 PI’s in total) and (2) about scientific productivity of all researchers in Slovenia that were active in the period 1970–2016—there are 19,598 such researchers in total, including the PI’s. We compare average productivity, collaboration, internationality and interdisciplinarity of PI’s and of all active researchers. Our analysis shows that for all four indicators the average performance of PI’s is much higher compared to average performance of all active researchers. Additionally, we analyze careers of both groups of researchers. The results show that the PI’s have on average longer and more fruitful career compared to all active researchers, with regards to all career indicators. The PI’s that have received a postdoc grant have at the beginning outstanding scientific performance, but later deviate towards average. On long run, the PI’s leading the research programs (the most prestigious grants) on average demonstrate the best scientific performance. In the last part of the paper we study 23 co-authorship networks, spanned by all active researchers in the periods 1970–1994, ..., 1970–2016. We find out that they are well connected and that PI’s are well distributed across these networks forming their backbones. Even more, PI’s generate new PI’s, since more than 90% of new PI’s are connected (have at least one joint scientific publication) with existing PI’s. We believe that our study sheds new light to the relations between the public funding of the science and the scientific output and can be considered as an affirmative answer to the question posed in the title.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrej Kastrin & Jelena Klisara & Borut Lužar & Janez Povh, 2018. "Is science driven by principal investigators?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 117(2), pages 1157-1182, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:117:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-018-2900-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2900-x
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    2. Lu, Wei & Ren, Yan & Huang, Yong & Bu, Yi & Zhang, Yuehan, 2021. "Scientific collaboration and career stages: An ego-centric perspective," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 15(4).
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    4. Astrid Jaime & Constanza Pérez‐Martelo & Bernardo Herrera & Gonzalo Ordóñez‐Matamoros & Dominique Vinck, 2023. "Functioning strategies of the research groups' leaders in the context of funding and policy instabilities," Review of Policy Research, Policy Studies Organization, vol. 40(2), pages 282-306, March.
    5. O'Kane, Conor & Mangematin, Vincent & Zhang, Jing A. & Cunningham, James A., 2020. "How university-based principal investigators shape a hybrid role identity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    6. María José Foncubierta-Rodríguez & Fernando Martín-Alcázar & José Luis Perea-Vicente, 2023. "A typology of principal investigators based on their human capital: an exploratory analysis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 932-954, June.

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