Three years ago, a high-profile study in Nature made global headlines by claiming that science was becoming less groundbreaking. That narrative quickly found its way into science policy, including here in Flanders.
Now, new research led by Vrije Universiteit Brussel together with KU Leuven shows that the original finding was largely driven by artefacts in the underlying data.
The researchers demonstrated that missing references in older database records created a false impression of a decline in disruptive science. When corrected, almost the entire reported decline disappears.
This correction matters. How we perceive the pace of innovation directly affects how research is funded and evaluated. It’s a clear testament to why critical, independent scientific scrutiny is vital.
Congratulations to researchers Vincent Holst, Andres Algaba, Floriano Tori, Sylvia Wenmackers and Vincent Ginis on this pivotal contribution to the global debate on scientific innovation.