Becoming big frogs in a small pond

Donald A. Dewsbury

pp. 133-154

in: Rand B. Evans, Thomas C. Dalton (eds), The life cycle of psychological ideas, Berlin, Springer, 2005

Abstract

We must never forget that the successful spread of a piece of research or theory depends in part on its perceived quality within the context of the science in which it is done. That said, many other factors can affect success. These are summarized in Table 1 and include characteristics of the scientist, the research or idea, and of its presentation and promotion. Scientific acumen is important but so is good salesmanship.