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Which discoveries are paradigm shifting?

Sajad Ashouri et al.

Industrial and Corporate Change2026https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag002article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

To more closely align theories of paradigm-shifting discoveries and their empirical quantification, we propose a novel measure that incorporates a discovery’s impact, novelty, and tendency to break with the past into a single, coherent measure. Calibration using the National Inventor Hall of Fame data reveals that the three dimensions are strict complements, meaning, for example, that greater impact cannot substitute for moderate novelty. We illustrate how the measure works and validate it in several complementary ways using data on the United States Patent and Trademark Office patents from 1982 to 2015. High values of the measure are strongly predictive of discoveries that are simultaneously exceptional in terms of their impact, novelty, and disruptiveness.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag002

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@article{sajad2026,
  title        = {{Which discoveries are paradigm shifting?}},
  author       = {Sajad Ashouri et al.},
  journal      = {Industrial and Corporate Change},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtag002},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.