Career Risks of Switching Fields: The ‘Pivot Penalty’ for Researchers

Rapid Summary

• A study published in Nature titled “The Pivot Penalty in Research” analyzes the risks researchers face when switching focus to new areas,using data from 26 million research papers adn 1.72 million patents.
• Researchers who pivot their focus tend to receive less attention for their work compared to contributions made within their established field-a phenomenon termed “pivot penalty.”
• Two key reasons behind the penalty are a lack of reputation in the new field and potentially lower initial quality as they acclimate.
• The pattern was observed widely across different fields of science and technology, career stages, team sizes, and research outcomes.
• The study suggests that adapting oneS research direction can pose meaningful risks but has potential long-term benefits through innovation.
• Lead researcher Yian Yin emphasizes awareness of these risks for both individual career choices and policy reforms within research organizations.

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