Abstract
This paper first describes the recent development that scientists and engineers of many disciplines, countries, and institutions increasingly engage in nanoscale research at breathtaking speed. By co-author analysis of over 600 papers published in “nano journals” in 2002 and 2003, I investigate if this apparent concurrence is accompanied by new forms and degrees of multi- and interdisciplinarity as well as of institutional and geographic research collaboration. Based on a new visualization method, patterns of research collaboration are analyzed and compared with those of classical disciplinary research. I argue that current nanoscale research reveals no particular patterns and degrees of interdisciplinarity and that its apparent multidisciplinarity consists of different largely mono-disciplinary fields which are rather unrelated to each other and which hardly share more than the prefix “nano”.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bensaude-Vincent, B. (2001), The construction of a discipline: Materials science in the United States, Historical Studies in the Physical and Biological Sciences, 31: 223-248.
BMBF, Nanotechnologie in Deutschland: Standortbestimmung, 2002.
Braun, T., A. Schubert, S. Zsindely (1997), Nanoscience and nanotechnology on the balance, Scientometrics, 38(2): 321-325.
Budworth, D. W. (1996), Overview of Activities on Nanotechnology and Related Technology, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Seville.
Gibbons, M., C. Limoges, H. Nowotny, S. Schwartzman, P. Scott, P. Trow (1994), The New Production of Knowledge. The Dynamics of Science and Research in Contemporary Societies, Sage Publications, London.
Katz, J. S., D. Hicks (1995), The classification of interdisciplinary journals: A new approach, In: M. E. D. Koenig, A. Bookstein, (Eds), Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference of the International Society for Scientometrics and Informetrics. Learned Information, Melford, pp. 245-254.
Katz, J. S., B. R. Martin (1997), What is research collaboration? Research Policy, 26: 1-18.
Klein, J. Th. (1990), Interdisciplinarity. History, Theory & Practice, Wayne State University Press, Detroit.
Khosla, R. P. (2002), Nanotechnology in Japan, National Science Foundation, Tokyo Regional Office, Special Scientific Report #02-07, June 12.
Malsch, I. (1997a), The Importance of Interdisciplinary Approaches: The Case of Nanotechnology. Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Seville
Malsch, I. (1997b), Nanotechnology in Europe: Experts. Perceptions and Scientific Relations Between Sub-Areas, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Seville.
Malsch, I. (1999), Nanotechnology in Europe: scientific trends and organizational dynamics, Nanotechnology, 10: 1-7.
Meyer, M. (2000), Patent citations in a novel field of technology: What can they tell about interactions of emerging communities of science and technology?, Scientometrics, 48: 151-178.
Meyer, M. (2001), Patent citations in a novel field of technology: An exploration of nano-science and nanotechnology, Scientometrics, 51: 163-183.
Meyer, M., O. Persson (1998), Nanotechnology — interdisciplinarity, patterns of collaboration and differences in application, Scientometrics, 42(2): 195-205.
Meyer, M., O. Persson, Y. Power (2001), Nanotechnology Expert Group and Eurotech Data, Mapping Excellence in Nanotechnologies. Preparatory Study for the European Commission, DG Research, [http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/era/pdf/nanoexpertgroupreport.pdf].
Morillo, F., M. Bordons, I. GÓmez (2001), An appoach to interdisciplinarity through bibliometric indicators, Scientometrics, 51: 203-222.
National Research Council (NRC), Committee For The Review Of The National Nanotechnology Initiative, Division On Engineering And Physical Sciences (2002), Small Wonders, Endless Frontiers: A Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, pp. 12.
National Science And Technology Council (NSTC) (2000), National Nanotechnology Initiative: The Initiative and its Implementation Plan. Washington, D.C., July, p. 13 [http://www.nano.gov/nni2.pdf]
Porter, A. L., D. E. Chubin (1985), An indicator of cross-disciplinary research, Scientometrics, 8: 161-176.
Qin, J., F. W. Lancaster, B. Allen (1997), Types and levels of collaboration in interdisciplinary research in the sciences, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 48: 893-916.
Qiu, L. (1992), A study of interdisciplinary research collaboration, Research Evaluation, 2: 169-175.
Roco, M. C., W. S. Bainbridge (Eds) (2002), Converging Technologies for Improving Human Performance: Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information Technology and the Cognitive Science, Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation.
Schummer, J. (2003), Chemical versus biological explanation: Interdisciplinarity and reductionism in the 19th-century life sciences, In: J. E. Earley (Ed.), Chemical Explanation: Characteristics, Development, Autonomy, New York (Annals of the New York Academy of Science, 988), pp. 269-281.
Schummer, J., Interdisciplinary issues in nanoscale research, In: D. Baird, A. Nordmann, J. Schummer (Eds), Discovering the Nanoscale, book in preparation; electronic prepublication at http://www.cla.sc.edu/cpecs/nirt/papers.html
Stang, P. J. (2003), Editorial: 124 years of publishing original and primary chemical research, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 125: 1-8.
Tijssen, R. J. W. (1992), A quantitative assessment of interdisciplinary structures in science and technology: coclassification analysis of energy research, Research Policy, 21: 27-44.
Tomov, D. T., H. G. Mutafov (1996), Comparative indicators of interdisciplinarity in modern science, Scientometrics, 37: 267-278.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schummer, J. Multidisciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, and patterns of research collaboration in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Scientometrics 59, 425–465 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SCIE.0000018542.71314.38
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:SCIE.0000018542.71314.38