The Nobel “Pride” Phenomenon: An analysis of Nobel Prize discoveries and their recognition

Abstract

The Nobel Prize is considered one of the highest forms of recognition of scientific accomplishment, conferring immense prestige upon its recipients. Given the significant time lag between the award and the discovery, Nobel Prizes are bestowed to individuals associated with institutions and countries other than the original place of the discovery. Contextualizing our research in status-seeking literature, we define the imprecise and sometimes excessive appropriation of Nobel Prizes by institutions and even countries as the “Nobel ‘Pride’ Phenomenon”. Our empirical analysis focuses on the time and location of the 653 discoveries underlying each of the 350 Nobel Prizes in medicine, physics, and chemistry until 2024. About one-third of all Nobel laureates came from another institution or country. Furthermore, Nobel Prize creativity is highly concentrated, with more than 80 % of discoveries made in just five countries. These findings cast new light on the Nobel laureates' demographics, geographic and historical movements, and institutional affiliations, and have implications for research policy at institutions and national levels.

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