Work

Triadic Novelty: A Structural Typology of Science Innovation

Year: 2025

Type: preprint

Abstract: Scientific progress depends on novelty, but current evaluation systems often conflate novelty with recognition, favoring work that aligns with existing paradigms over ideas that challenge them. We introduce a theory-driven framework that conceptualizes novelty as a structural process rather than a single scalar outcome. Drawing on network science and theories of scientific discovery, we develop a triadic typology of novelty: Pioneers introduce new topics, Mavericks recombine distant areas of knowledge, and Vanguards reinforce weak but emerging connections. We apply this framework to philanthropic and nonprofit studies, an interdisciplinary and evolving field well suited to examining how novelty is recognized before evaluation norms are fully stabilized. Results show that novelty is not uniformly rewarded: Pioneer contributions are often weakly recognized unless later taken up, Maverick contributions receive consistent recognition, and Vanguard contributions exhibit diminishing returns as ideas become established. By distinguishing how novelty enters and evolves within knowledge structures, the framework offers a citation-independent approach with implications for research evaluation, funding design, and science and innovation policy.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2506.17851

Authors: Ai, Jin, Steinberg, Richard S., Guo, Chao, Silva, Filipi Nascimento

Institutions: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Eli Lilly (United States), Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Pennsylvania

Language: English

Topic: scientometrics and bibliometrics research

Subfield: Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty

Field: Decision Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure

Awards: G1453181110, Track 4: Advanced CI Coordination Ecosystem: Monitoring and Measurement Services, G3562386289, Track 1: ACCESS Resource Allocations Marketplace and Platform Services (RAMPS), G4010157413, ACO: An Open CI Ecosystem to Advance Scientific Discovery (OpenCI), Track 3: COre National Ecosystem for CyberinfrasTructure (CONECT), G5367127336, G5464919783, Track 2: Customized Multi-tier Assistance, Training, and Computational Help (MATCH) for End User ACCESS to CI

OpenAlex ID: W6891889291

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