Intellectual fashions, prestige, disciplinary boundaries

Intellectual fashions

Example:

Suppose for several decades scholars become highly interested in class conflict.

Research on class becomes popular.

Other topics receive less attention.

Later a new fashion emerges.

Research priorities change.

Institutional prestige

Example:

A book from a famous university may initially receive more attention than an equally good book from an unknown institution.

This does not prove the famous university is correct.

It affects visibility.

Disciplinary boundaries

Example:

A sociologist publishes a useful theory.

Historians may overlook it because they mainly read history journals.

The idea may later be rediscovered.