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Rafols, Ismael and Meyer, Martin (2007) How cross-disciplinary is bionanotechnology? Explorations in the specialty of molecular motors. Scientometrics, 70 (3). pp. 633-650. ISSN 0138-9130
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
Nanotechnology has been presented in the policy discourse as an intrinsically interdisciplinary
field, requiring collaborations among researchers with different backgrounds, and specific funding
schemes supporting knowledge-integration activities. Early bibliometric studies supported this
interdisciplinary vision (MEYER & PERSSON, 1998), but recent results suggest that nanotechnology
is (yet) a mixed bag with various mono-disciplinary subfields (SCHUMMER, 2004). We have reexamined the issue at the research project level, carrying out five case studies in molecular motors,
a specialty of bionanotechnology. Relying both in data from interviews and bibliometric
indicators, we have developed a multidimensional analysis (SANZ-MENÉNDEZ et al., 2001) in order
to explore the extent and types of cross-disciplinary practices in each project. We have found that
there is a consistent high degree of cross-disciplinarity in the cognitive practices of research (i.e.,
use of references and instrumentalities) but a more erratic and narrower degree in the social
dimensions (i.e., affiliation and researchers’ background). This suggests that cross-disciplinarity is
an eminently epistemic characteristic and that bibliometric indicators based on citations and
references capture more accurately the generation of cross-disciplinary knowledge than approaches
tracking co-authors’ disciplinary affiliations. In the light of these findings we raise the question
whether policies focusing on formal collaborations between laboratories are the most appropriate
to facilitate cross-disciplinary knowledge acquisition and generation.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Schools and Departments: | University of Sussex Business School > SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit |
| Subjects: | Z Bibliography. Library Science. Information Resources > Z0665 Library Science. Information Science |
| Depositing User: | Ismael Rafols |
| Date Deposited: | 06 Feb 2012 18:36 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Jun 2012 09:45 |
| URI: | http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/17338 |