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Age effects in scientific productivity

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Abstract

Age effects in scientific production are a consolidated stylised fact in the literature. At the level of scientist productivity declines with age following a predictable pattern. The problem of the impact of age structure on scientific productivity at the level of institutes is much less explored. The paper examines evidence from the Italian National Research Council. The path of hiring of junior researchers along the history of the institution is reconstructed. We find that age structure has a depressing effect on productivity and derive policy implications. The dynamics of growth of research institutes is introduced as a promising research field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LEM - Laboratory of Economics and Management Piazza Martiri della Libertá, 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy

    Andrea Bonaccorsi & Cinzia Daraio

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  1. Andrea Bonaccorsi
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  2. Cinzia Daraio
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Correspondence to Andrea Bonaccorsi.

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Bonaccorsi, A., Daraio, C. Age effects in scientific productivity. Scientometrics 58, 49–90 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025427507552

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