Mobility and the Growth of Science

One channel for cognitive transfer of scientific concepts and models to new research areas and specialties is cognitive migration of scientists (that is, their moving into new research areas). Under the organizational conditions of research at the West German universities, cognitive migration occurs primarily by scientists changing their research institutes. Empirical data on backgrounds of inter-university mobility can therefore be used to study cognitive migration, and to shed light on conditions for cognitive transfer and the growth of knowledge. The influence of academic labour market factors turns out to be overwhelming. Regression models are used to explore the importance of different institutional, socio-cognitive and cognitive factors (after controlling for labour market effects). Social factors appear to be more important than cognitive factors. Thus societal effects may have a much earlier and deeper influence on the growth of science than is often thought.