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Explaining research performance

Investigating the importance of motivation

Bibliographic Data

ID22230245
AuthorsSilje Marie Svartefoss (0000-0001-5072-1293, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education, corresponding author), Jens Jungblut (0000-0001-8231-5361, University of Oslo), Dag W Aksnes (0000-0002-1519-195X, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education), Kristoffer Kolltveit (0000-0001-8051-4818, University of Oslo), Thed N van Leeuwen (0000-0001-7238-6289, Leiden University), Thed van Leeuwen
Year2024
Volume4
Issue6
Publication date2024-05-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSN Social Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2662-9283 • E-ISSN: 2662-9283
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s43545-024-00895-9
OpenAlexW4398234946
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited51

In this article, we study the motivation and performance of researchers. More specifically, we investigate what motivates researchers across different research fields and countries and how this motivation influences their research performance. The basis for our study is a large-N survey of economists, cardiologists, and physicists in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK. The analysis shows that researchers are primarily motivated by scientific curiosity and practical application and less so by career considerations. There are limited differences across fields and countries, suggesting that the mix of motivational aspects has a common academic core less influenced by disciplinary standards or different national environments. Linking motivational factors to research performance, through bibliometric data on publication productivity and citation impact, our data show that those driven by practical application aspects of motivation have a higher probability for high productivity. Being driven by career considerations also increases productivity but only to a certain extent before it starts having a detrimental effect

Human Resource Development and Performance Evaluation · Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports · Psychology · scientometrics and bibliometrics research

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Unique citing works2
Citations per year2
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 2
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