Ideas Connecting at an Academic Conference

Unlocking Ideas: How Conferences Spark Innovation in the Digital Age

Avery Sinclair in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Discover the surprising power of in-person academic conferences in a world dominated by online information."

In today's interconnected world, innovation thrives on the exchange of ideas. Whether in science, technology, or the arts, breakthroughs often stem from combining existing concepts in novel ways. Understanding how these ideas spread, or diffuse, is crucial to fostering further innovation. However, tracking this diffusion is notoriously difficult. As famously quipped by Paul Krugman, 'Knowledge flows are invisible; they leave no paper trail.' This challenge has led researchers to rely on indirect measures, leaving key questions about the drivers of diffusion unanswered.

One persistent finding in diffusion research is the importance of geographical proximity. Studies have consistently shown that the amount and intensity of diffusion are linked to how close innovators are to each other. This has sparked debate about whether the primary driver is interpersonal ties, the concentration of related ideas, or other factors. Moreover, with the rise of remote communication technologies, some question whether geographical proximity still holds the same significance.

This article dives into this debate by examining the role of in-person communication in a seemingly paradoxical context: academic conferences. In an era where research papers are readily available online, do face-to-face interactions at conferences still provide a unique advantage? We will explore how these gatherings foster both intentional learning and serendipitous discovery, contributing to the broader discussion on geographical proximity and diffusion in the digital age.

The Unexpected Power of Conferences: More Than Just Online Access

Ideas Connecting at an Academic Conference

Academic conferences offer a unique setting to study the diffusion of ideas. In the past, they were essential for accessing the latest research. Today, with online accessibility, attending a conference represents a choice: engage in person or access information solely online. This raises a critical question: does the in-person experience add value beyond what's available on the internet?

Measuring the impact of conference presentations is challenging. It takes time for ideas to translate into published work, and researchers don't attend presentations randomly. Those who attend may already be more interested or knowledgeable in the topic. To address these challenges, a study leveraged unique data from a conference scheduling application called Confer. This application allowed attendees to 'like' papers and create personalized schedules.

Scheduling Conflicts: The study focused on instances where attendees had scheduling conflicts, liking multiple papers presented at the same time. This created a natural experiment, as attendees couldn't attend all desired presentations.
Intentional vs. Serendipitous Diffusion: The researchers distinguished between intentional diffusion (attending a presentation of interest) and serendipitous diffusion (encountering other ideas in the same session).
Measuring Impact: The study tracked whether attendees cited papers presented at conferences in their subsequent work, comparing those who could attend the presentation versus those who had a scheduling conflict.

The results revealed that attending presentations significantly increased the likelihood of citing those papers, even with online access. Specifically, being able to see presentations increased citations of 'liked' papers by 1.5 percentage points, a 62.5% boost over the baseline rate. Furthermore, attention spilled over to non-liked papers in the same session, increasing their citation rate by 0.5 percentage points, a 125% boost. This serendipitous diffusion accounted for 30.5% of the total effect.

The Enduring Value of Face-to-Face Interaction

This research underscores the enduring value of in-person communication in a digital world. Academic conferences, despite the wealth of information available online, continue to play a vital role in fostering both intentional learning and unexpected discoveries. By bringing researchers together, these events create opportunities for serendipitous encounters and deeper engagement with ideas, ultimately driving innovation forward.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2209.01175,

Title: Intentional And Serendipitous Diffusion Of Ideas: Evidence From Academic Conferences

Subject: cs.dl econ.gn q-fin.ec

Authors: Misha Teplitskiy, Soya Park, Neil Thompson, David Karger

Published: 02-09-2022

Everything You Need To Know

Why are academic conferences still relevant in the digital age, and what unique advantages do they offer?

Academic conferences remain highly relevant because they facilitate in-person communication, fostering both intentional learning and serendipitous discovery. Despite the accessibility of online resources, these events provide unique advantages by bringing researchers together, creating opportunities for deeper engagement with ideas. This contrasts with simply accessing information online, as it promotes direct interaction and unexpected encounters that drive innovation. The study highlights that attending presentations at conferences significantly increased the likelihood of citing those papers, even with online access, showcasing the enduring value of face-to-face interaction.

How did the study measure the impact of conference presentations, and what innovative method was used to overcome the challenges of measuring idea diffusion?

The study leveraged data from a conference scheduling application called "Confer" to measure the impact of conference presentations. The approach focused on instances where attendees had scheduling conflicts, which created a natural experiment. Researchers tracked whether attendees cited papers presented at conferences in their subsequent work. This method helped to isolate the effect of attending a presentation versus simply having online access. The study distinguished between "intentional diffusion" (attending a presentation of interest) and "serendipitous diffusion" (encountering other ideas in the same session) to understand different ways ideas spread.

What were the key findings regarding "intentional" and "serendipitous diffusion" at academic conferences?

The research revealed that attending presentations at academic conferences significantly increased the citation rate of 'liked' papers by 1.5 percentage points, a 62.5% boost over the baseline rate. This illustrates the impact of "intentional diffusion". Furthermore, attention spilled over to non-liked papers presented in the same session, increasing their citation rate by 0.5 percentage points, a 125% boost, which is the "serendipitous diffusion". This "serendipitous diffusion" accounted for 30.5% of the total effect, highlighting the importance of unexpected encounters in the diffusion of ideas at conferences.

How does the concept of "geographical proximity" relate to the findings about academic conferences?

The article discusses the relevance of "geographical proximity" in the context of idea diffusion. Studies have shown that the amount and intensity of diffusion are linked to how close innovators are to each other. Academic conferences provide a setting where researchers from different locations can interact in person, effectively reducing the distance and promoting the exchange of ideas. The study's findings, demonstrating the significant impact of in-person interactions, support the idea that physical presence enhances the diffusion of ideas, even in the digital age, where online resources are readily available. The study shows that the boost in citations is correlated with the physical attendance, that in-person presence is key.

What is the significance of the 62.5% and 125% boost in citation rates observed in the study, and what do these numbers represent in terms of innovation?

The 62.5% boost in citations for 'liked' papers and the 125% boost for non-liked papers in the same session are critical indicators of the power of in-person interaction at conferences. These percentages reflect the increase in the likelihood that researchers will cite the work they encountered at the conference in their subsequent research. This boost illustrates the efficiency of academic conferences in fostering both "intentional" and "serendipitous diffusion". The increase in citations directly relates to the speed and extent to which new knowledge is adopted and built upon, meaning that academic conferences significantly accelerate the innovation process by enabling researchers to encounter and engage with new ideas more effectively, leading to a higher impact in their work, and accelerating progress in science, technology, and the arts.