Microgeography and the Direction of Inventive Activity
Microgeography and the Direction of Inventive Activity
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DOI：
10.1287/mnsc.2017.2798
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发表时间：
2018-09-01
影响因子：
5.4
通讯作者：
Catalini, Christian
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Catalini, Christian
我提供了基于原始理论框架的新颖的经验证据，来解释为什么协同定位对于科学合作的速度、方向和质量很重要。为了解决由于选择并置和匹配而产生的内生性问题，我利用巴黎 Jussieu 校区实验室空间分配的限制，从建筑物中去除了石棉。与搜索成本构成合作的主要阻力相一致，托管使联合研究的可能性增加了 3.5 倍，这一效应主要是由事先面临更高搜索成本的实验室对驱动的。此外，分离不会对之前位于同一地点的实验室之间的合作产生负面影响。然而，虽然同一地点的实验室在主题和引用的文献方面变得越来越相似，但分散的实验室却开始了相关性较低的研究轨迹。相反，研究成果似乎主要受到距离如何影响执行成本的影响：在托管之后，实验室更有可能追求低质量的项目（选择效应）和高质量的项目（努力效应）。分离后观察到对质量的相反影响。搜索成本会影响哪些科学家可能会一起合作，而执行成本则会影响其产出的质量。
I provide novel empirical evidence grounded in an original theoretical framework to explain why colocation matters for the rate, direction, and quality of scientific collaboration. To address endogeneity concerns due to selection into colocation and matching, I exploit the constraints imposed on the spatial allocation of labs on the Jussieu campus of Paris by the removal of asbestos from its buildings. Consistent with search costs constituting a major friction to collaboration, colocation increases the likelihood of joint research by 3.5 times, an effect that is mostly driven by lab pairs that face higher search costs ex ante. Furthermore, separation does not negatively affect collaboration between previously colocated labs. However, while colocated labs grow increasingly similar in topics and literature cited, separated ones embark on less correlated research trajectories. Research outcomes, instead, seem to be mostly influenced by how distance affects execution costs: after colocation, labs are more likely to pursue both lower-quality projects (a selection effect) and high-quality projects (an effort effect). Opposite effects on quality are observed after separation. Whereas search costs affect which scientists are likely to collaborate together, execution costs shape the quality of their output.