Charlton, BG; Andras, P 'Down-shifting' among top UK scientists? The decline of 'revolutionary science' and the rise of 'normal science' in the UK compared with the USA MEDICAL HYPOTHESES, 70 (3): 465-472 2008

[Eugene Garfield]

E-mail Address: editorMeHy at yahoo.com 

Author(s): Charlton, BG (Charlton, Bruce G.); Andras, P (Andras, Peter) 

Title: 'Down-shifting' among top UK scientists? The decline 
of 'revolutionary science' and the rise of 'normal science' in the UK 
compared with the USA 

Source: MEDICAL HYPOTHESES, 70 (3): 465-472 2008 

Language: English 

Document Type: Editorial Material 

Keywords Plus: NOBEL-PRIZES; MEDICAL SCIENCE; BRAIN-DRAIN; INSTITUTIONS 

Abstract: It is sometimes asserted that UK science is thriving, at other 
times that it has declined. We suggest that both assertions are partly 
true because the UK is thriving with respect to the volume of 'normal' 
science production but at the same time declining in the highest level 
of 'revolutionary' science. Revolutionary science may be distinguished 
from normal science in that revolutionary science aims at generating 
qualitative advances which change the direction of established science, 
while 'normal' science aims at incremental progress extrapolating from 
established science. Revolutionary science has been measured by counting 
national numbers of science Nobel laureates and ISI Highly Cited (HiCi) 
scientists; normal science has been measured using the total volume of 
scientific publications and citations at both national and institutional 
levels. By these criteria the UK has been progressively catching-up with 
the USA in terms of normal science since the 1990s. At the same time the 
UK has declined in revolutionary science over recent decades by a 
significant brain drain of future Nobel laureates and HiCi scientists, and 
a sharply reduced success (both in absolute and compared with the USA) at 
winning science Nobel prizes. One possible cause for this pattern could be 
a time-lag, such that the UK's improved science production since about 
1990 may eventually work-through into improved UK performance in 
revolutionary science. More pessimistically, this pattern may reflect a 
strategic down-shift of the best UK-resident scientists away from 
revolutionary science and towards less-ambitious and safer normal science 
which is more productive in the short term. (c) 2008 Published by Elsevier 
Ltd. 

Addresses: Univ Newcastle Upon Tyne, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & 
Wear, England 

Reprint Address: Charlton, BG, Univ Newcastle Upon Tyne, Henry Wellcome 
Bldg, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Tyne & Wear, England. 

E-mail Address: editorMeHy at yahoo.com 

Cited Reference Count: 23 

Times Cited: 0 

Publisher: CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE
 
Publisher Address: JOURNAL PRODUCTION DEPT, ROBERT STEVENSON HOUSE, 1-3 
BAXTERS PLACE, LEITH WALK, EDINBURGH EH1 3AF, MIDLOTHIAN, SCOTLAND 

ISSN: 0306-9877 

ALI S
WORLD U C SHANGH CHI : 

CHARLTON B
MODERNIZATION IMPERA : 2003 

CHARLTON BG
Measuring revolutionary biomedical science 1992-2006 using Nobel prizes, 
Lasker (clinical medicine) awards and Gairdner awards (NLG metric) 
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES 69 : 1 DOI 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.01.001 2007 

CHARLTON BG
Why there should be more science Nobel prizes and laureates - And why 
proportionate credit should be awarded to institutions 
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES 68 : 471 DOI 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.11.003 2007 

CHARLTON BG
Scientometric identification of elite 'revolutionary science' research 
institutions by analysis of trends in Nobel prizes 1947-2006 
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES 68 : 931 DOI 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.006 2007 

CHARLTON BG
MED HYPOTHESES 68 : 1191 2006 

CHARLTON BG
The future of 'pure' medical science: The need for a new specialist 
professional research system 
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES 65 : 419 DOI 10.1016/j.mehy.2005.06.001 2005 

CHARLTON BG
Conflicts of interest in medical science: peer usage, peer review and 'Col 
consultancy' 
MEDICAL HYPOTHESES 63 : 181 DOI 10.1016/j.mehy.2004.06.001 2004 

CHARLTON BG
Medical research funding may have over-expanded and be due for collapse 
QJM-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 98 : 53 DOI 10.1093/qjmed/hci003 
2005 

CHARLTON BG
SCI PUBL POLICY 34 : 555 2007 

GARFIELD E
JOURNAL CITATION STUDIES .46. PHYSICAL-CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL PHYSICS 
JOURNALS .3. THE EVOLUTION OF PHYSICAL-CHEMISTRY TO CHEMICAL PHYSICS 
CURRENT CONTENTS 23 : 3 1986 

HEALY D
ANTIPRESSANT ERA : 1998 

HULL DL
SCI PROCESS : 1988 

IOANNIDIS JPA
Global estimates of high-level brain drain and deficit 
FASEB JOURNAL 18 : 936 DOI 10.1096/fj.03-1394lfe 2004 

JUDSON HF
8 DAY CREATION MAKER 1979 

KING DA
The scientific impact of nations 
NATURE 430 : 311 DOI 10.1038/430311a 2004 

LEYDESDORFF L
IN PRESS IS US LOSIN : 

LUHMANN N
SOCIAL SYSTEMS : 1995 

PIERSON AS
Citation figures suggest that the UK brain drain is a genuine problem 
NATURE 407 : 13 2000 

PRICE DJD
LITTLE SCI BIG SCI : 1986 

SINGH S
FERMATS LAST THEOREM : 2002 

WATSON JD
DOUBLE HELIX : 1981 

ZIMAN J
REAL SCI : 2000