biostudies-literatureStoeger TNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesSimons FoundationNIA NIH HHSNIAID NIH HHSJohn and Leslie McGownAir Force Office of Scientific ResearchNational Institute on AgingNational Science Foundatione3001520https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8769369biostudies-literatureUnknown20(1)Throughout the last 2 decades, several scholars observed that present day research into human genes rarely turns toward genes that had not already been extensively investigated in the past. Guided by hypotheses derived from studies of science and innovation, we present here a literature-wide data-driven meta-analysis to identify the specific scientific and organizational contexts that coincided with early-stage research into human genes throughout the past half century. We demonstrate that early-stage research into human genes differs in team size, citation impact, funding mechanisms, and publication outlet, but that generalized insights derived from studies of science and innovation only partially apply to early-stage research into human genes. Further, we demonstrate that, presently, genPLoS biologyThe characteristics of early-stage research into human genes are substantially different from subsequent research.PMC8769369DMS-17644211956338FA9550-19-1-0354U19AI135964K99AG068544U19 AI135964K99 AG068544Nunes Amaral LAStoeger TfalseThe characteristics of early-stage research into human genes are substantially different from subsequent research.Throughout the last 2 decades, several scholars observed that present day research into human genes rarely turns toward genes that had not already been extensively investigated in the past. Guided by hypotheses derived from studies of science and innovation, we present here a literature-wide data-driven meta-analysis to identify the specific scientific and organizational contexts that coincided with early-stage research into human genes throughout the past half century. We demonstrate that early-stage research into human genes differs in team size, citation impact, funding mechanisms, and publication outlet, but that generalized insights derived from studies of science and innovation only partially apply to early-stage research into human genes. Further, we demonstrate that, presently, gen2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Jan2026-05-08T23:35:33.41Z2022-02-11T16:16:31.912ZS-EPMC87693693499045210.1371/journal.pbio.3001520