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Positioning knowledge: schools of thought and new knowledge creation

Author

Listed:
  • S. Phineas Upham

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Lori Rosenkopf

    (University of Pennsylvania)

  • Lyle H. Ungar

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

Cohesive intellectual communities called “schools of thought” can provide powerful benefits to those developing new knowledge, but can also constrain them. We examine how developers of new knowledge position themselves within and between schools of thought, and how this affects their impact. Looking at the micro and macro fields of management publications from 1956 to 2002 with an extensive dataset of 113,000+ articles from 41 top journals, we explore the dynamics of knowledge positioning for management scholars. We find that it is significantly beneficial for new knowledge to be a part of a school of thought, and that within a school of thought new knowledge has more impact if it is in the intellectual semi-periphery of the school.

Suggested Citation

  • S. Phineas Upham & Lori Rosenkopf & Lyle H. Ungar, 2010. "Positioning knowledge: schools of thought and new knowledge creation," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 83(2), pages 555-581, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:83:y:2010:i:2:d:10.1007_s11192-009-0097-8
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-009-0097-8
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    2. Chaomei Chen & Zhigang Hu & Jared Milbank & Timothy Schultz, 2013. "A visual analytic study of retracted articles in scientific literature," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 64(2), pages 234-253, February.
    3. Niemann, Helen & Moehrle, Martin G. & Frischkorn, Jonas, 2017. "Use of a new patent text-mining and visualization method for identifying patenting patterns over time: Concept, method and test application," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 210-220.
    4. Jos J. Winnink & Robert J. W. Tijssen & Anthony F. J. van Raan, 2016. "Theory‐changing breakthroughs in science: The impact of research teamwork on scientific discoveries," Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 67(5), pages 1210-1223, May.
    5. Sangyoon Yi & Jinho Choi, 2012. "The organization of scientific knowledge: the structural characteristics of keyword networks," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 90(3), pages 1015-1026, March.

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