Academics sponsored by large firms have lower publication rates than those with other funding sources.
Academic scientists funded by large companies publish, patent and are cited less often than those supported by smaller firms or other sources, a study says. Research Grants, Sources of Ideas and the Effects on Academic Research, released on 29 July by the Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim, Germany, polled researchers at 46 German universities. Co-author Cornelia Lawson, an economist at the University of Turin, Italy, says that large grant-giving firms might modify the focus of the work during the project so that there are not enough data to publish after the grant. They also tend to fund applied research, which may be cited less often, she says. The study notes that industrial sponsorship has been on the rise globally for several years.
Related links
Related links
Related links in Nature Research
UK universities urged to build more industry links
Related external links
Study: Research Grants, Sources of Ideas and the Effects on Academic Research
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Industrial outcomes. Nature 488, 421 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7411-421b
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nj7411-421b