The transformation of scientific communication systems in the digital age: towards a methodology for comparing scientific communication cultures

Conference item

We argue that a key question for the comparison of the field-specific shaping of scientific communication systems in the Digital Age is the identification and characterization of the unit of research: scientific collectives and their communication cultures. We address this conceptual and methodological challenge using a combination of ethnographic methods and network analysis. In this paper we present a basic methodological approach that we have developed in a pilot study of research groups in chemistry. Our first results underline the value of combining quantitative and qualitative methods.

Authors: Velden, T; Lagoze, C

• Publication status: Not published
• Peer review status: Not peer reviewed
• Language: English
• Keywords: research cultures; chemistry; scientific communication; network analysis; ethnographic methods; qualitative and quantative methods; comparative analysis