Does “Precocious Research Creativity” Account for Notable Late-Career Research Achievements by Political Scientists?

ABSTRACT This article offers the first test with valid measures and rigorous multivariate methods of the hypothesis that significant early-career research achievements of academics predict late-career achievements of the same type. Considerable research investigated the correlates of late-career research success; however, this promising hypothesis that originated in psychological and educational research on adolescents has not been tested systematically for academic careers. In a sample of three annual temporal cohorts of political science faculty members, our study finds notable evidence in support of this hypothesis. Our findings also provide a foundation for future research on how innate abilities, the character of doctoral programs, and the advantages of different types of academic positions shape long-term career productivity.