Codiscovery

Codiscovery is the phenomenon whereby the same discovery, idea, or invention arises independently in two or more research efforts, often within a similar time frame and with little or no direct communication between the parties. In histories of science and technology, codiscovery is used to describe situations in which multiple researchers arrive at the same conclusion or design, not as a result of collaboration, but through parallel reasoning and access to common information or data sources.

The term is closely related to parallel discovery or simultaneous discovery, but codiscovery emphasizes the independent origin and the sometimes competing claims to priority that can follow.

Causes include shared data sets, similar theoretical frameworks, universal observations, or rapid dissemination channels that render the same questions salient at around the same time.

Consequences include disputes over attribution, opportunities for later collaboration, and insights into the structure of scientific progress, illustrating that discovery can be a collective process even without direct cooperation.

Notable discussions exist in the philosophy of science, with examples often cited in retrospectives; the term is used variably across fields and is sometimes treated as a historical label rather than a formal category.

See also: multiple discovery, simultaneous discovery, parallel invention, priority dispute.