Abstract
The results of a number of citation studies have been utilized to support the view that the “graying” of the academic profession will have no impact on the quality of work produced in various scientific disciplines. This conclusion is challenged. It is argued that citations may not indicate the most innovative and creative work, that age may be negatively related to the creation and reception of innovative work, and that the age structure of a scientific community may have an impact on the ability of innovative work to be produced and accepted.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Altbach, P. G. The “graying” of the American academic profession.Educational Studies 1979,10 31–34.
Barber, B. Resistance by scientists to scientific discovery. In B. Barber & W. Hirsch (Eds.),The sociology of science. New York: Free Press, 1962.
Blau, J. R. Scientific recognition: Academic context and professional role.Social Studies of Science 1976,6 533–545.
Chubin, D. E., & Moitra, D. Content analysis of references: Adjunct or alternative to citation counting?Social Studies of Science 1975,5 423–441.
Cole, S. Professional standing and the reception of scientific discoveries.American Journal of Sociology 1970,76 286–306.
Cole, S. The growth of scientific knowledge: Theories of deviance as a case study. In L. A. Coser (Ed.),The idea of social structure: Papers in honor of Robert K. Merton. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1975.
Cole, S. Age and scientific performance.American Journal of Sociology 1979,84 958–977.
Garfield, E. The 100 articles most cited by social scientists, 1969–1977.Current Contents 1978,32 5–14.
Garfield, E. Is citation analysis a legitimate evaluation tool?Scientometrics 1979,1 359–375.
Gilbert, G. N. The transformation of research findings into scientific knowledge.Social Studies of Science 1976,6 281–306.
Gilbert, G. N. Referencing as persuasion.Social Studies of Science 1977,7 113–122.
Gouldner, A. W.The coming crisis of western sociology. New York: Basic Books, 1970.
Hagstrom, W. O.The scientific community. New York: Basic Books, 1965.
Kaplan, N. The norms of citation behavior: Prolegomena to the footnote.American Documentation 1965,16 179–184.
Kuhn, T. S.The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd ed.). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1970.
Moravcsik, M. J., & Murugesan, P. Some results on the function and quality of citations.Social Studies of Science 1975,5 86–92.
Mulkay, M.Science and the sociology of knowledge. London: Allen and Unwin, 1979.
Mullins, N. C.Theories and theory groups in contemporary American sociology. New York: Harper and Row, 1973.
Oromaner, M. Professional age and the reception of sociological publications: A test of the Zuckerman-Merton hypothesis.Social Studies of Science 1977,7 381–388.
Small, H., & Greenlee, E. Citation context analysis of a co-citation cluster: Recombinant DNA.Scientometrics 1980,2 277–301.
Smelser, N. J., & Davis, J. A. (Eds.).Sociology. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1969.
Smith, B. L. R., & Karlesky, J.The state of academic science. New York: Change Magazine Press, 1977.
Stern, N. Age and achievement in mathematics: A case-study in the sociology of science.Social Studies of Science 1978,8 127–140.
Trumble, R. R. Young investigators: Concerns, options, and opportunities.Research in Higher Education 1980,12 335–345.
Ziman, J. M.Public knowledge: The social dimension of science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1968.
Zuckerman, H., & Merton, R. K. Age, aging and age structure in science. In Riley, M. W., Johnson, M., & Foner, A. (Eds.),Aging and society (Vol. III): A sociology of age stratification. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1972.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Oromaner, M. The quality of scientific scholarship and the “graying” of the academic profession: A skeptical view. Res High Educ 15, 231–239 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00976418
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00976418