title: Do Nobel Laureates Create Prize-Winning Networks? An Analysis of Collaborative Research in Physiology or Medicine.
abstract: Nobel Laureates in Physiology or Medicine who received the Prize between 1969 and 2011 are compared to a matched group of scientists to examine productivity, impact, coauthorship and international collaboration patterns embedded within research networks. After matching for research domain, h-index, and year of first of publication, we compare bibliometric statistics and network measures. We find that the Laureates produce fewer papers but with higher average citations. The Laureates also produce more sole-authored papers both before and after winning the Prize. The Laureates have a lower number of coauthors across their entire careers than the matched group, but are equally collaborative on average. Further, we find no differences in international collaboration patterns. The Laureates coauthor network reveals significant differences from the non-Laureate network. Laureates are more likely to build bridges across a network when measuring by average degree, density, modularity, and communities. Both the Laureate and non-Laureate networks have "small world" properties, but the Laureates appear to exploit "structural holes" by reaching across the network in a brokerage style that may add social capital to the network. The dynamic may be making the network itself highly attractive and selective. These findings suggest new insights into the role "star scientists" in social networks and the production of scientific discoveries.
authors.affiliation: Battelle Center for Science and Technology Policy, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States of America.
authors.forename: Caroline S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.affiliation: Rathenau Institute, The Hague, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Horlings
authors.affiliation: Battelle Center for Science and Technology Policy, John Glenn College of Public Affairs, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States of America.
authors.forename: Travis A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Whetsell
authors.affiliation: Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (LIME), Tomtebodavägen 18 A, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 171 77.
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mattsson
authors.affiliation: Nobel Museum, Stortorget 2, Gamla Stan, Box 2245, 103 16 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nordqvist
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D008511:Medicine; D009613:Nobel Prize; D010827:Physiology