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Development of originality under inbreeding : A case of life science labs in Japan

Shibayama, Sotaro LU (2022) In Higher Education Quarterly 76(1). p.63-75
Abstract

Producing original knowledge is the foundation of scientific progress. Originality is associated with certain skills and practices that can be trained and socialised. This study investigates how inbreeding as a career practice influences the socialisation of originality. An analysis based on a sample of mid-career life scientists in Japan finds that originality and associated practices are transferred to junior academics from their PhD supervisors, and that the inter-generational transfer of the practices favourable for originality is reinforced when junior academics are inbred. Hence, if senior academics have orientation towards originality, inbred junior academics are likely to succeed the same orientation; whereas if supervisor lack... (More)

Producing original knowledge is the foundation of scientific progress. Originality is associated with certain skills and practices that can be trained and socialised. This study investigates how inbreeding as a career practice influences the socialisation of originality. An analysis based on a sample of mid-career life scientists in Japan finds that originality and associated practices are transferred to junior academics from their PhD supervisors, and that the inter-generational transfer of the practices favourable for originality is reinforced when junior academics are inbred. Hence, if senior academics have orientation towards originality, inbred junior academics are likely to succeed the same orientation; whereas if supervisor lack orientation towards originality, inbred juniors also lack the orientation. Thus, inbreeding can be a double-edged sword in developing originality.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
academic career, inbreeding, independence, novelty, originality
in
Higher Education Quarterly
volume
76
issue
1
pages
63 - 75
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85105003936
ISSN
0951-5224
DOI
10.1111/hequ.12315
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
af7e3e21-4c5c-4ebd-8c3c-8dcc69e512ab
date added to LUP
2021-04-07 21:48:02
date last changed
2024-02-02 11:52:58
@article{af7e3e21-4c5c-4ebd-8c3c-8dcc69e512ab,
  abstract     = {{<p>Producing original knowledge is the foundation of scientific progress. Originality is associated with certain skills and practices that can be trained and socialised. This study investigates how inbreeding as a career practice influences the socialisation of originality. An analysis based on a sample of mid-career life scientists in Japan finds that originality and associated practices are transferred to junior academics from their PhD supervisors, and that the inter-generational transfer of the practices favourable for originality is reinforced when junior academics are inbred. Hence, if senior academics have orientation towards originality, inbred junior academics are likely to succeed the same orientation; whereas if supervisor lack orientation towards originality, inbred juniors also lack the orientation. Thus, inbreeding can be a double-edged sword in developing originality.</p>}},
  author       = {{Shibayama, Sotaro}},
  issn         = {{0951-5224}},
  keywords     = {{academic career; inbreeding; independence; novelty; originality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{63--75}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Higher Education Quarterly}},
  title        = {{Development of originality under inbreeding : A case of life science labs in Japan}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hequ.12315}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/hequ.12315}},
  volume       = {{76}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}