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The emergent integrated network structure of scientific research
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 14, Iss 4, p e0216146 (2019), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2019.
-
Abstract
- Scientific research is often thought of as being conducted by individuals and small teams striving for disciplinary advances. Yet as a whole, this endeavor more closely resembles a complex and integrated system of people, papers, and ideas. Studies of co-authorship and citation networks have revealed important structural properties of researchers and articles, but currently the structure of scientific ideas themselves is not well understood. In this study, we posit that topic networks may be a useful framework for revealing the nature of conceptual relationships. Using this framework, we map the landscape of interconnected research topics covered in the multidisciplinary journal PNAS since 2000, constructing networks in which nodes represent topics of study and edges give the extent to which topics occur in the same papers. The network displays small-world architecture, characterized by regions of dense local connectivity with sparse connectivity between them. In this network, dense local connectivity additionally gives rise to distinct clusters of related topics. Yet notably, these clusters tend not to align with assigned article classifications, and instead contain topics from various disciplines. Using a temporal graph, we find that small-worldness has increased over time, suggesting growing efficiency and integration of ideas. Finally, we define two measures of interdisciplinarity, one of which is found to be positively associated with PNAS's impact factor. Broadly, this work suggests that complex and dynamic patterns of knowledge emerge from scientific research, and that structures reflecting intellectual integration may be beneficial for obtaining scientific insight.
- Subjects :
- FOS: Computer and information sciences
Science and Technology Workforce
Time Factors
Computer science
Careers in Research
01 natural sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Multidisciplinary approach
Citation analysis
Centrality
Multidisciplinary
Impact factor
Ecology
Applied Mathematics
Simulation and Modeling
Community structure
Computer Science - Social and Information Networks
Research Assessment
Graph
Professions
Community Ecology
Citation Analysis
Physical Sciences
Medicine
Journal Impact Factor
Network Analysis
Algorithms
Research Article
Computer and Information Sciences
Science Policy
Science
Bibliometrics
Research and Analysis Methods
Statistics - Applications
03 medical and health sciences
0103 physical sciences
Applications (stat.AP)
010306 general physics
Community Structure
Scientific Publishing
Social and Information Networks (cs.SI)
Structure (mathematical logic)
Research
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Biology and Life Sciences
Data science
People and Places
Scientists
Population Groupings
Citation
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Mathematics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....60644694b72ba4cf5b7fc4ea5bd7a1a5