This note is about what to look for when digging deeper, understanding and identifying what might be worthy research or material to include in a class. There are the obvious ways to find things; citations, references in the common text books. There are the big names at conferences and such.
What are other indicators of noteworthy impact? The following list was put together over many years, considering what signals can be found in submitted promotion files. Depending on the institution, a common requirement for moving from Associate to Full is 'high achievement', national and international recognition, noteworthy impact. The same list can help you ferret out noteworthy results and sources.
The more someone has on the list, the more of a Grand Master they might be, worthy of being listened to, sharing with your class. The list can also be used by those trying to develop a career (choices to make along the way) and what to potentially include in a promotion and tenure package.
Many of the indicators have a subtext as well; the number of replications (number in each category), who is worked with, the institution where the colleague is, where the researcher is interacting, and concentration of impact in a specific time window. Basically, these are types of indicators that might provide evidence that others know about the researcher’s work and consider it worthy and above the average.
There are quite a few possible indicators. The following list was updated in 2020. Some are direct indicators, some are proxies.
Here are some of the signals or cues that we often suggest that can be looked for when considering if someone's work is worth digging into, including in a course. If someone has a big, potentially worthy reputation.