Merton’s famous essay on recognition and rewards in scientific careers, “The Matthew Effect in Science”, has reached middle
age. This Dialog reflects on established research that separates the origins and the consequences of status, and recent
contributions regarding the constraints of status advantages. In doing so, this collection responds to a growing scholarly
debate about the returns to high status. The authors engage with Merton’s cumulative status advantage, and go further to
identify downsides of increased recognition both for individuals and for the status system itself. The six articles in this Dialog
evaluate the progress made towards Merton’s proposed research agenda and highlight opportunities for its extension.