Academic scientists are encouraged to pursue research that delivers both scientific and societal impact. This may involve a search for alternative mechanisms of social approval which lead to endorsement of scientists’ research goals. We explore how scientists mobilise and accumulate different forms of legitimacy, which might favour their participation in practices related to innovation and societal impact. We propose three specific sources of scientific legitimacy: i) scientists’ social networks (research-related legitimacy ties), ii) prominence in the relevant academic community (reputation-based legitimacy); and direct contact with the primary beneficiaries of the research (beneficiary-based legitimacy). To explain scientists’ participation in activities oriented towards innovation and societal impact, we test the significance of each of these sources of legitimacy and their potential interplay empirically, using a large sample of Spanish biomedical scientists.

鼓励学术科学家从事具有科学和社会影响的研究。这可能涉及寻找社会认可的替代机制，从而使科学家的研究目标得到认可。我们探索科学家如何动员和积累不同形式的合法性，这可能有利于他们参与与创新和社会影响相关的实践。我们提出了科学合法性的三个具体来源：i）科学家的社交网络（与研究相关的合法性关系），ii）在相关学术界的突出地位（基于声誉的合法性）；与研究的主要受益人直接联系（基于受益人的合法性）。解释科学家参与以创新和社会影响为导向的活动，