{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T16:45:58Z","timestamp":1792773958868,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792454400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1792454400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Perspect Psychol Sci"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Scholarly excellence is often equated with deep specialization within a single domain, a premise embedded in doctoral training, peer review, and academic-evaluation systems. However, research from the emerging \u201cscience of science,\u201d drawing on large-scale analyses of publications, citations, and career trajectories, suggests a more complex relationship between expertise, cross-domain engagement, and scholarly impact. This conceptual article synthesizes insights from the science of science, cognitive research on expertise, and organizational studies to examine the roles of domain-specific depth and different forms of cross-domain engagement in the development of scholarly excellence. We argue that depth and breadth are complementary capacities whose contributions vary across career stages and institutional contexts. We distinguish between multidisciplinary exposure, interdisciplinary integration, and, in rarer cases, transdisciplinary contributions that extend beyond existing boundaries. Domain-specific expertise supports technical mastery, credibility, and efficient knowledge accumulation, whereas integrative forms of cross-domain engagement facilitate recombination, problem reframing, and long-term intellectual influence. We further show how academic-reward structures favor depth while discounting integrative contributions. We conclude by outlining implications for doctoral education, faculty evaluation, and research policy, and by proposing a developmental framework that supports diverse trajectories of scholarly excellence.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/17456916261490574","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T15:49:40Z","timestamp":1792511380000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Depth or Breadth? Domain-Specific Expertise and Cross-Domain Engagement in the Development of Scholarly Excellence"],"prefix":"10.1177","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3945-9612","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorne M.","family":"Hartman","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Translational Research Program, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_3_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Azoulay P. Graff Zivin J. S. Manso G. (2011). Incentives and creativity: Evidence from the academic life sciences. RAND Journal of Economics 42(3) 527\u2013554. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1756-2171.2011.00140.x","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1756-2171.2011.00140.x"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_3_1","volume-title":"The formula: The universal laws of success","author":"Barab\u00e1si A. L.","year":"2018","unstructured":"Barab\u00e1si A. L. (2018). The formula: The universal laws of success. Little, Brown."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barab\u00e1si A. L. Albert R. (1999). Emergence of scaling in random networks. Science 286(5439) 509\u2013512. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.286.5439.509","DOI":"10.1126\/science.286.5439.509"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Barth M. G\u00fcllich A. Macnamara B. N. Hambrick D. A. (2022). Predictors of junior versus senior elite performance are opposite: A systematic review and meta-analysis of participation patterns. Sports Medicine 52 1349\u20131416. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s40279-021-01625-4","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-021-01625-4"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Burt R. S. (2004). Structural holes and good ideas. American Journal of Sociology 110(2) 349\u2013399. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1086\/421787","DOI":"10.1086\/421787"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_7_1","first-page":"287","volume-title":"Visual information processing","author":"Chase W. G.","year":"1973","unstructured":"Chase W. G., Simon H. A. (1973). Perception in chess. In Chase W. G. (Ed.), Visual information processing (pp. 287\u2013305). Academic Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511816796.002"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"D\u2019Este P. Robinson-Garc\u00eda N. (2023). Interdisciplinary research and the societal visibility of science: The advantages of spanning multiple and distant scientific fields. Research Policy 52(2) Article 104609. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.respol.2022.104609","DOI":"10.1016\/j.respol.2022.104609"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ericsson K. A. Krampe R. T. Tesch-R\u00f6mer C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review 100(3) 363\u2013406. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1037\/0033-295X.100.3.363","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.100.3.363"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_11_1","volume-title":"Peak: Secrets from the new science of expertise","author":"Ericsson K. A.","year":"2016","unstructured":"Ericsson K. A., Pool R. (2016). Peak: Secrets from the new science of expertise. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Foster J. G. Rzhetsky A. Evans J. A. (2015). Tradition and innovation in scientists\u2019 research strategies. American Sociological Review 80(5) 875\u2013908. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0003122415601618","DOI":"10.1177\/0003122415601618"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gentner D. (1983). Structure-mapping: A theoretical framework for analogy. Cognitive Science 7(2) 155\u2013170. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0364-0213(83)80009-3","DOI":"10.1016\/S0364-0213(83)80009-3"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G\u00fcllich A. Barth M. Hambrick D. Z. Macnamara B. N. (2025). Recent discoveries on the acquisition of the highest levels of human performance. Science 390(6779) Article eadt7790. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adt7790","DOI":"10.1126\/science.adt7790"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_15_1","unstructured":"G\u00fcllich A. Hardy L. Kuncheva L. Woodman T. Laing S. Barlow M. Evans L. Rees T. Abernathy B. Cote J. Warr C. Wraith L. (2019). Developmental biographies of Olympic super-elite and elite athletes: A multidisciplinary pattern recognition analysis. Journal of Expertise 2(1) 23\u201346. https:\/\/www.journalofexpertise.org\/articles\/volume2_issue1\/JoE_2019_2_1_Gullich.html"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G\u00fcllich A. Macnamara B. N. Hambrick D. Z. (2022). What makes a champion? Early multidisciplinary practice not early specialization predicts world-class performance. Perspectives on Psychological Science 17(1) 6\u201329. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1745691620974772","DOI":"10.1177\/1745691620974772"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gupta A. K. Smith K. G. Shalley C. E. (2006). The interplay between exploration and exploitation. Academy of Management Journal 49(4) 693\u2013706. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5465\/amj.2006.22083026","DOI":"10.5465\/amj.2006.22083026"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jacobs J. A. Frickel S. (2009). Interdisciplinarity: A critical assessment. Annual Review of Sociology 35 43\u201365. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1146\/annurev-soc-070308-115954","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev-soc-070308-115954"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jones B. F. Weinberg B. A. (2011). Age dynamics in scientific creativity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108(47) 18910\u201318914. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1073\/pnas.1102895108","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1102895108"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Krauss A. Dan\u00fas L. Sales-Pardo M. (2023). Early-career factors largely determine the future impact of prominent researchers: Evidence across eight scientific fields. Scientific Reports 13(1) Article 18794. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41598-023-46050-x","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-023-46050-x"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Leahey E. (2007). Not by productivity alone: How visibility and specialization shape academic outcomes. American Sociological Review 72(4) 533\u2013561. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/000312240707200403","DOI":"10.1177\/000312240707200403"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Leahey E. Beckman C. M. Stanko T. L. (2017). Prominent but less productive: The impact of interdisciplinarity on scientists\u2019 research. Administrative Science Quarterly 62(1) 105\u2013139. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0001839216665364","DOI":"10.1177\/0001839216665364"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"March J. G. (1991). Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science 2(1) 71\u201387. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/orsc.2.1.71","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.2.1.71"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_24_1","volume-title":"The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical investigations","author":"Merton R. K.","year":"1973","unstructured":"Merton R. K. (1973). The sociology of science: Theoretical and empirical investigations. University of Chicago Press."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"O\u2019Reilly C. A. Tushman M. L. (2013). Organizational ambidexterity: Past present and future. Academy of Management Perspectives 27(4) 324\u2013338. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5465\/amp.2013.0025","DOI":"10.5465\/amp.2013.0025"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Porter A. L. Rafols I. (2009). Is science becoming more interdisciplinary? Measuring and mapping six research fields over time. Scientometrics 81(3) 719\u2013745. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11192-008-2197-2","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-008-2197-2"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rafols I. Leydesdorff L. O\u2019Hare A. Nightingale P. Stirling A. (2012). How journal rankings can suppress interdisciplinary research: A comparison between innovation studies and business management. Research Policy 41(7) 1262\u20131282. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.respol.2012.03.015","DOI":"10.1016\/j.respol.2012.03.015"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rafols I. Meyer M. (2010). Diversity and network coherence as indicators of interdisciplinarity. Scientometrics 82(2) 263\u2013287. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11192-009-0041-y","DOI":"10.1007\/s11192-009-0041-y"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Root-Bernstein M. Root-Bernstein R. (2020). A statistical study of intra-domain and trans-domain polymathy among Nobel laureates. Creativity Research Journal 32(2) 93\u2013112. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/104004419.2020.1751545","DOI":"10.1080\/10400419.2020.1751545"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Root-Bernstein M. Root-Bernstein R. (2023). Polymathy among Nobel laureates as a creative strategy: Qualitative and phenomenological evidence. Creativity Research Journal 35(1) 116\u2013142. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/104004419.2022.2051294","DOI":"10.1080\/10400419.2022.2051294"},{"issue":"1","key":"e_1_3_3_31_1","article-title":"Scientific dynamics on different research fronts: Insights from citation networks","volume":"11","author":"Shi F.","year":"2020","unstructured":"Shi F., Singh V. K., Barab\u00e1si A.-L. (2020). Scientific dynamics on different research fronts: Insights from citation networks. Nature Communications, 11(1), Article 3503.","journal-title":"Nature Communications"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9781139165358"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_33_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sinatra R. Wang D. Deville P. Song C. Barab\u00e1si A.-L. (2016). Quantifying the evolution of individual scientific impact. Science 354(6312) Article aaf5239. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.aaf5239","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aaf5239"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tversky A. Kahneman D. (1974). Judgment under uncertainty: Heuristics and biases. Science 185(4157) 1124\u20131131. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.185.4157.1124","DOI":"10.1126\/science.185.4157.1124"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Tversky A. Kahneman D. (1979). Prospect theory: An analysis of decision under risk. Econometrica 47(2) 263\u2013291. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/1914185","DOI":"10.2307\/1914185"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Uzzi B. Mukherjee S. Stringer M. Jones B. (2013). Atypical combinations and scientific impact. Science 342(6157) 468\u2013472. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1240474","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1240474"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang J. Thijs B. Gl\u00e4nzel W. (2015). Interdisciplinarity and impact: Distinct effects of variety balance and disparity. PLOS ONE 10(5) Article e0127298. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0127298","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0127298"},{"key":"e_1_3_3_38_1","first-page":"1","volume-title":"Creative thought: An investigation of conceptual structures and processes","author":"Ward T. B.","year":"1999","unstructured":"Ward T. B., Smith S. M., Vaid J. (1999). Conceptual structures and processes in creative thought. In Ward T. B., Smith S. M., Vaid J. (Eds.), Creative thought: An investigation of conceptual structures and processes (pp. 1\u201327). Elsevier."},{"key":"e_1_3_3_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Watts D. J. Strogatz S. H. (1998). Collective dynamics of \u2018small-world\u2019 networks. Nature 393(6684) 440\u2013442. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/30918","DOI":"10.1038\/30918"},{"issue":"2","key":"e_1_3_3_40_1","first-page":"130","article-title":"The longitudinal structure of scientific careers and impact","volume":"37","author":"Way S. F.","year":"2019","unstructured":"Way S. F., Morgan A. C., Clauset A., Larremore D. B. (2019). The longitudinal structure of scientific careers and impact. Nature Biotechnology, 37(2), 130\u2013137.","journal-title":"Nature Biotechnology"}],"container-title":["Perspectives on Psychological Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/17456916261490574","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/17456916261490574","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/17456916261490574","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T16:33:57Z","timestamp":1792773237000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/17456916261490574"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]]},"references-count":39,"alternative-id":["10.1177\/17456916261490574"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/17456916261490574","relation":{},"ISSN":["1745-6916","1745-6924"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1745-6916","type":"print"},{"value":"1745-6924","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]]},"article-number":"17456916261490574"}}