<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec>
<h3>Purpose</h3>
<p>The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding (a main driver for scientific research) and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 and the same relation in these research fields as a whole.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Design/Methodology/Approach</h3>
<p>This study utilizes a power law model to explore the relationship between research funding and citations of related papers. The study here analyzes 3,539 recorded documents by Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine and a broader dataset of 183,016 documents related to the fields of physics, medicine, and chemistry recorded in the Web of Science database.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Findings</h3>
<p>Results reveal that in chemistry and medicine, funded researches published in papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded studies published in articles; vice versa high citations of Nobel Laureates in physics are for unfunded studies published in papers. Instead, when overall data of publications and citations in physics, chemistry and medicine are analyzed, all papers based on funded researches show higher citations than unfunded ones.</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Originality/Value</h3>
<p>Results clarify the driving role of research funding for science diffusion that are systematized in general properties: a) articles concerning funded researches receive more citations than (un)funded studies published in papers of physics, chemistry and medicine sciences, generating a high Matthew effect (a higher growth of citations with the increase in the number of papers); b) research funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research (e.g., chemistry and medicine) more than fields oriented towards basic research (e.g., physics).</p>
</sec>
<sec>
<h3>Practical Implications</h3>
<p>The results here explain some characteristics of scientific development and diffusion, highlighting the critical role of research funding in fostering citations and the expansion of scientific knowledge. This finding can support decisionmaking of policymakers and R&amp;D managers to improve the effectiveness in allocating financial resources in science policies to generate a higher positive scientific and societal impact.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Purpose
The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding (a main driver for scientific research) and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine over 2019-2020 and the same relation in these research fields as a whole.


Design/Methodology/Approach
This study utilizes a power law model to explore the relationship between research funding and citations of related papers. The study here analyzes 3,539 recorded documents by Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry and medicine and a broader dataset of 183,016 documents related to the fields of physics, medicine, and chemistry recorded in the Web of Science database.


Findings
Results reveal that in chemistry and medicine, funded researches published in papers of Nobel Laureates have higher citations than unfunded studies published in articles; vice versa high citations of Nobel Laureates in physics are for unfunded studies published in papers. Instead, when overall data of publications and citations in physics, chemistry and medicine are analyzed, all papers based on funded researches show higher citations than unfunded ones.


Originality/Value
Results clarify the driving role of research funding for science diffusion that are systematized in general properties: a) articles concerning funded researches receive more citations than (un)funded studies published in papers of physics, chemistry and medicine sciences, generating a high Matthew effect (a higher growth of citations with the increase in the number of papers); b) research funding increases the citations of articles in fields oriented to applied research (e.g., chemistry and medicine) more than fields oriented towards basic research (e.g., physics).


Practical Implications
The results here explain some characteristics of scientific development and diffusion, highlighting the critical role of research funding in fostering citations and the expansion of scientific knowledge. This finding can support decisionmaking of policymakers and R&D managers to improve the effectiveness in allocating financial resources in science policies to generate a higher positive scientific and societal impact.

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Journal of Data and Information Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Purpose
The goal of this study is a comparative analysis of the relation between funding (a main driver for scientific research) and citations in papers of...

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Article Category: Research Papers

Published Online: May 27, 2024

Page range: 56 - 80

Received: Jul 24, 2023

Accepted: Oct 10, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2024-0006

Keywords
Research funding, Citations, Science diffusion, Scientific change, Science of Science, Power-law distribution, Basic research, Applied research, Matthew effect, Nobel Laureates, Nobel Prizes

© 2024 Mario Coccia et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Research funding and citations in papers of Nobel Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, 2019-2020

Article Category: Research Papers

Published Online: May 27, 2024

Page range: 56 - 80

Received: Jul 24, 2023

Accepted: Oct 10, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jdis-2024-0006

KeywordsResearch funding, Citations, Science diffusion, Scientific change, Science of Science, Power-law distribution, Basic research, Applied research, Matthew effect, Nobel Laureates, Nobel Prizes

© 2024 Mario Coccia et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Research funding, Citations, Science diffusion, Scientific change, Science of Science, Power-law distribution, Basic research, Applied research, Matthew effect, Nobel Laureates, Nobel Prizes