One of the most recent and promising branches of scientometrics is science-mapping, i.e. the grap... more One of the most recent and promising branches of scientometrics is science-mapping, i.e. the graphical visualization, via network-maps, of the citational structure of scientific fields [Small 1999]. The so-called science-maps that result from science-mapping software (such as VOSviewer) have different applications. For example, they can be used to individuate the paradigms of a field or to determine the hottest topics in a discipline for science-policy purposes [Morris & Van Der Veer Martens 2008]. Moreover, science-mapping has been showed to be an useful tool for historical reconstruction, since it offers a big-data view on the overall dynamics of a scientific discipline [Chen 2003]. In particular, it can be very useful to reconstruct the very recent history of science. However, until now science-mapping has been applied mainly to the history of hard sciences and bio-medical areas. Therefore, in the present talk, we want to assess its application to the field of Humanities, selecting in particular two case studies: contemporary analytic philosophy and human geography. In the first section of the talk, we will present a preliminary mapping of these two fields, considering at the same time strengths and shortcomings of science-mapping as an historical tool for the Humanities (e.g. limited scope of the databases, selection-bias in the initial dataset, role of monographs in humanities). We will use both case studies as a driver for approaching a broader methodological reflection on the contemporary structure of humanistic research, focusing in particular on analytic philosophy and human geography. Concerning contemporary analytic philosophy, we will present a general mapping of the content of the top journals in analytic philosophy, using data retrieved from Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science (WoS) and the science-mapping software VOSviewer. From the methodological point of view, we want to reflect on the historical notions that mapping involve, understanding how they are related to traditional historiographical categories, such as “author”. We will ask if it is plausible to speak of a transition from little philosophy to big philosophy after Second World War, in analogy with the famous study by Derek De Solla Price Little Science, Big Science [Price 1963] Concerning human geography, we want to reconstruct historically the disciplinary path up to the current fragmented scenario of research. Moreover, we shall evaluate the influence of mainstream Anglo-American scientific literature on the Italian geographical research topics. Eventually, the reconstruction of the research landscape will help us drawing a first map of the discipline based on the recurrence of some keywords. Finally, in the last part of the paper, we will suggest mapping interdisciplinarity in the Humanities as a promising direction for further research. Philosophy of mind could be an interesting case study to grasp the interactions between a humanistic area and scientific disciplines [Laydersdoff & Goldstone 2013]. We believe that the case studies taken in consideration in this talk are a good starting point for everyone who is interested in understanding contemporary knowledge dynamics in the Humanities, as well as the overall epistemic flow between Humanities and Sciences in the actual intellectual landscape.
One of the most recent and promising branches of scientometrics is science-mapping, i.e. the grap... more One of the most recent and promising branches of scientometrics is science-mapping, i.e. the graphical visualization, via network-maps, of the citational structure of scientific fields [Small 1999]. The so-called science-maps that result from science-mapping software (such as VOSviewer) have different applications. For example, they can be used to individuate the paradigms of a field or to determine the hottest topics in a discipline for science-policy purposes [Morris & Van Der Veer Martens 2008]. Moreover, science-mapping has been showed to be an useful tool for historical reconstruction, since it offers a big-data view on the overall dynamics of a scientific discipline [Chen 2003]. In particular, it can be very useful to reconstruct the very recent history of science. However, until now science-mapping has been applied mainly to the history of hard sciences and bio-medical areas. Therefore, in the present talk, we want to assess its application to the field of Humanities, selecting in particular two case studies: contemporary analytic philosophy and human geography. In the first section of the talk, we will present a preliminary mapping of these two fields, considering at the same time strengths and shortcomings of science-mapping as an historical tool for the Humanities (e.g. limited scope of the databases, selection-bias in the initial dataset, role of monographs in humanities). We will use both case studies as a driver for approaching a broader methodological reflection on the contemporary structure of humanistic research, focusing in particular on analytic philosophy and human geography. Concerning contemporary analytic philosophy, we will present a general mapping of the content of the top journals in analytic philosophy, using data retrieved from Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science (WoS) and the science-mapping software VOSviewer. From the methodological point of view, we want to reflect on the historical notions that mapping involve, understanding how they are related to traditional historiographical categories, such as “author”. We will ask if it is plausible to speak of a transition from little philosophy to big philosophy after Second World War, in analogy with the famous study by Derek De Solla Price Little Science, Big Science [Price 1963] Concerning human geography, we want to reconstruct historically the disciplinary path up to the current fragmented scenario of research. Moreover, we shall evaluate the influence of mainstream Anglo-American scientific literature on the Italian geographical research topics. Eventually, the reconstruction of the research landscape will help us drawing a first map of the discipline based on the recurrence of some keywords. Finally, in the last part of the paper, we will suggest mapping interdisciplinarity in the Humanities as a promising direction for further research. Philosophy of mind could be an interesting case study to grasp the interactions between a humanistic area and scientific disciplines [Laydersdoff & Goldstone 2013]. We believe that the case studies taken in consideration in this talk are a good starting point for everyone who is interested in understanding contemporary knowledge dynamics in the Humanities, as well as the overall epistemic flow between Humanities and Sciences in the actual intellectual landscape.
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Conference Presentations by Petrovich Eugenio
Therefore, in the present talk, we want to assess its application to the field of Humanities, selecting in particular two case studies: contemporary analytic philosophy and human geography. In the first section of the talk, we will present a preliminary mapping of these two fields, considering at the same time strengths and shortcomings of science-mapping as an historical tool for the Humanities (e.g. limited scope of the databases, selection-bias in the initial dataset, role of monographs in humanities). We will use both case studies as a driver for approaching a broader methodological reflection on the contemporary structure of humanistic research, focusing in particular on analytic philosophy and human geography.
Concerning contemporary analytic philosophy, we will present a general mapping of the content of the top journals in analytic philosophy, using data retrieved from Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science (WoS) and the science-mapping software VOSviewer. From the methodological point of view, we want to reflect on the historical notions that mapping involve, understanding how they are related to traditional historiographical categories, such as “author”. We will ask if it is plausible to speak of a transition from little philosophy to big philosophy after Second World War, in analogy with the famous study by Derek De Solla Price Little Science, Big Science [Price 1963]
Concerning human geography, we want to reconstruct historically the disciplinary path up to the current fragmented scenario of research. Moreover, we shall evaluate the influence of mainstream Anglo-American scientific literature on the Italian geographical research topics. Eventually, the reconstruction of the research landscape will help us drawing a first map of the discipline based on the recurrence of some keywords.
Finally, in the last part of the paper, we will suggest mapping interdisciplinarity in the Humanities as a promising direction for further research. Philosophy of mind could be an interesting case study to grasp the interactions between a humanistic area and scientific disciplines [Laydersdoff & Goldstone 2013].
We believe that the case studies taken in consideration in this talk are a good starting point for everyone who is interested in understanding contemporary knowledge dynamics in the Humanities, as well as the overall epistemic flow between Humanities and Sciences in the actual intellectual landscape.
Therefore, in the present talk, we want to assess its application to the field of Humanities, selecting in particular two case studies: contemporary analytic philosophy and human geography. In the first section of the talk, we will present a preliminary mapping of these two fields, considering at the same time strengths and shortcomings of science-mapping as an historical tool for the Humanities (e.g. limited scope of the databases, selection-bias in the initial dataset, role of monographs in humanities). We will use both case studies as a driver for approaching a broader methodological reflection on the contemporary structure of humanistic research, focusing in particular on analytic philosophy and human geography.
Concerning contemporary analytic philosophy, we will present a general mapping of the content of the top journals in analytic philosophy, using data retrieved from Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science (WoS) and the science-mapping software VOSviewer. From the methodological point of view, we want to reflect on the historical notions that mapping involve, understanding how they are related to traditional historiographical categories, such as “author”. We will ask if it is plausible to speak of a transition from little philosophy to big philosophy after Second World War, in analogy with the famous study by Derek De Solla Price Little Science, Big Science [Price 1963]
Concerning human geography, we want to reconstruct historically the disciplinary path up to the current fragmented scenario of research. Moreover, we shall evaluate the influence of mainstream Anglo-American scientific literature on the Italian geographical research topics. Eventually, the reconstruction of the research landscape will help us drawing a first map of the discipline based on the recurrence of some keywords.
Finally, in the last part of the paper, we will suggest mapping interdisciplinarity in the Humanities as a promising direction for further research. Philosophy of mind could be an interesting case study to grasp the interactions between a humanistic area and scientific disciplines [Laydersdoff & Goldstone 2013].
We believe that the case studies taken in consideration in this talk are a good starting point for everyone who is interested in understanding contemporary knowledge dynamics in the Humanities, as well as the overall epistemic flow between Humanities and Sciences in the actual intellectual landscape.