Raf Vanderstraeten

In the systems-theoretical tradition, as well as in related theoretical traditions, the social is primarily conceived in terms of communication networks. With regard to science, emphasis has been put on the emergence of specific media and formats of scientific communication, such as publications in scientific journals. Journal publications now have become the privileged and canonical form of scientific communication.

From the nineteenth century onwards, there have emerged numerous scientific specialisations that consist of networks of publications. The morphogenesis of these specialisations has been addressed in relatively broad terms by sociological ‘grand theories’, such as systems theory. In recent years, a range of empirical case-studies have provided more detailed accounts of the characteristics of different scientific communities and their networks of communication.

A theoretically-informative synthesis of the empirical findings, that would make it possible to evaluate the relevance of these results, is still wanting. In a kind of feedback loop, the theoretical implications of the range of currently available empirical findings need to be clarified. This project aims to update the theoretical framework for analysing the conditions and consequences of scientific specialisation.