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Emergence of modern scientific discourse in the American continent: knowledge claims in the discovery of Erythronium/Vanadium in Mexico (1802–1832)

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Abstract

In the present paper, we study the discovery of the chemical element number 23, Erythronium/Vanadium (E/V), as an early example of the modern process of validating knowledge claims in México. We examined the published work between 1802 and 1832 of Andrés Manuel del Río (AMR) in the Royal Mining Seminar of México and contrasted the styles of argument and forms of certification between his teaching and experimental writings concerning his claim to the paternity of E/V discovery. We also analyze the respective papers of European authors that replicated, rediscovered and certified AMR’s finding. We use a combination of bibliometric, sociotechnical network and literary critical analysis in order to show that the certification of E/V spawned an emerging mode for producing and validating new knowledge in the American continent and particularly in México. In turn, this approach supports AMR’s claim to the discovery of E/V from the production process of the lead brown ore in Zimapán, México.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge support from CONACYT (México); we also appreciate the collaboration of Gerardo Herrera in translating the German texts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Física, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico

    Francisco Collazo-Reyes & Miguel Ángel Pérez-Angón

  2. Servicios Bibliográficos, Unidad de Indicadores Bibliométricos, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Av. IPN 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360, Mexico City, Mexico

    María Elena Luna-Morales

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliotecológicas y de Información, Ciudad Universitaria, UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Copilco Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Jane M. Russell

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  1. Francisco Collazo-Reyes
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  2. María Elena Luna-Morales
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Correspondence to Francisco Collazo-Reyes.

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Collazo-Reyes, F., Luna-Morales, M.E., Russell, J.M. et al. Emergence of modern scientific discourse in the American continent: knowledge claims in the discovery of Erythronium/Vanadium in Mexico (1802–1832). Scientometrics 110, 1505–1521 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-016-2220-y

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