Does scientific eminence endure? Making sense of the most cited economists, psychologists and sociologists in textbooks (1970–2010)[L'éminence scientifique dure-t-elle ? Faire sens des économistes, psychologues et sociologues les plus cités dans les manuels (1970-2010)]

This paper examines the concept of textbook eminence and asks whether this specific form of scholarly recognition is of a temporal rather than enduring nature. Based on an analysis of 30 leading textbooks in economics, psychology and sociology from the 1970s and 2010s, it is established that less than a third of all eminent scholars remain across the period as the most cited authors. Therefore, the average ‘‘half-life'' of textbook eminence is shorter than half a century. Textbook eminence, it seems, is associated first and foremost with ‘certified recognition,' expressed through encyclopedia entries dedicated to individual scholars. In psychology, and partly in sociology, citation impact turns out to be a further significant correlate. In economics, however, textbook eminence is completely detached from peer recognition, as measured by the h-index. The identified short ‘‘half-life'' of textbook eminence does not necessarily imply a replacement of older elites by younger researchers. In sociology, very few 20th century newcomers have yet attained textbook eminence.