Does knowledge have a half-life? An observational study analyzing the use of older citations in medical and scientific publications.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

In the process of scientific progress, prior evidence is both relied on and supplanted by new discoveries. We use the term 'knowledge half-life' to refer to the phenomenon in which older knowledge is discounted in favour of newer research. By quantifying the knowledge half-life, we sought to determine whether research published in more recent years is preferentially cited over older research in medical and scientific articles.

Design

An observational study employing a directed, systematic search of current literature.

Data sources

BMJ, PNAS, JAMA, NEJM, The Annals of Internal Medicine, The Lancet, Science and Nature were searched.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Eight high-impact medi

SUBMITTER: Chow NLY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10231019 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature