Why do researchers change their research directions? Evidence from biomedical scientists

Abstract Changes in the direction of research are commonly acknowledged, but little is known about their nature and why they happen. Therefore, we present evidence from interviews with biomedical scientists whose research grant on a particular disease led to publications in other areas. A range of contributing factors is offered for these changes in direction, both planned and unplanned. Researchers can change directions in response to serendipitous discoveries and dead ends emerging in their work. They can also reorient their work to take advantage of new tools or methods, or aspects of the research context including research funding and collaborations. Shifts in research directions during projects are common, systemic, and vary by disease. These findings suggest that efforts to target research towards addressing societal needs require complementary support for unexpected discoveries.