von der Heyden Marie, Heinze Thomas
Institute of Sociology, University of Wuppertal, Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
PLoS One. 2025 May 8;20(5):e0323103. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323103. eCollection 2025.
This paper examines the shift in global scientific leadership from Germany to the United States using data on Nobel Prize nominations in Physics and Chemistry from 1901 to 1969. Building on the theoretical frameworks of Ben-David and Hollingsworth, we explore how nomination patterns reflect global shifts in scientific hegemony. In the early 20th century, Germany dominated the Nobel nomination process, with its scientists frequently acting both as nominators and nominees. During the 1930s, however, the United States rose to prominence, becoming the leading force in global science. By the mid-20th century, American scientists constituted a substantial share of both nominees and nominators, reflecting the nation's emergence as a global research leader. Self-nomination trends align with this hegemonic transition. Despite their dominance in the nomination process during their respective periods of global leadership, neither country demonstrated a particular capacity to influence selection outcomes. Regression analysis reveals limited advantages for nominees from hegemonic nations and no consistent effects for nominators, illustrating the distinction between controlling nominations and shaping laureate selections. This study offers insights into the dynamics of scientific prestige and the relationship between national hegemony and institutional frameworks.
本文利用1901年至1969年诺贝尔物理学奖和化学奖提名数据，考察了全球科学领导地位从德国向美国的转移。基于本 - 戴维和霍林斯沃思的理论框架，我们探讨了提名模式如何反映科学霸权的全球转移。在20世纪初，德国在诺贝尔提名过程中占据主导地位，其科学家经常同时担任提名者和被提名者。然而，在20世纪30年代，美国崛起并崭露头角，成为全球科学的主导力量。到20世纪中叶，美国科学家在被提名者和提名者中都占了很大比例，这反映了美国成为全球研究领导者的地位。自我提名趋势与这种霸权转变相一致。尽管两国在各自的全球领导时期在提名过程中占据主导地位，但都没有表现出影响评选结果的特殊能力。回归分析显示，霸权国家的被提名者优势有限，提名者则没有一致的影响，这说明了控制提名和塑造获奖者选择之间的区别。本研究为科学声望的动态变化以及国家霸权与制度框架之间的关系提供了见解。
