Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Using the archive: Derek Price's theory of differences among the sciences

  • Published:
Scientometrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Derek Price's theory of variation among the sciences stressed that the essential differences lay in the process through which scientists use each other's results. He maintained that the critical processes were those which took place within small groups of scientists who shared an intellectual focus, and proposed that an indication of those processes could be found in referencing patterns. Later research, reviewed in this paper, has corroboratedPrice in these observations. Several bodies of evidence point to the desirability of further application of the basic conceptsPrice introduced for the purpose he proposed: as diagnostic tools to describe and compare processes of knowledge growth in the sciences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. For example, L. L. HARGENS,Patterns of Scientific Research: A Comparative Analysis of Research in Three Scientific Fields. American Sociological Association, Washington, D. C., 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  2. H. A. ZUCKERMAN, R. K. MERTON, Age, Aging and Age Structure in Science, in: R. K. MERTON,The Sociology of Science, edited by N. STORER, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1973, pp. 497–559.

    Google Scholar 

  3. T. S. KUHN,The Structure of Scientific Revolutions., 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1970; J. B. LODAHL, G. GORDON, The Structure of Scientific Fields and the Functioning of University Graduate Departments,American Sociological Review, 37 (1972) 57–72.

    Google Scholar 

  4. D. J. de SOLLA PRICE, Citation Measures of Hard Science, Soft Science, Technology, and Non-science, in:Communication among Scientists and Engineers, C. E. NELSON, D. K. POLLACK, Eds, Heat, Lexington, Mass., 1970, pp. 1–12.

    Google Scholar 

  5. D. J. de SOLLA PRICE, Networks of Scientific Papers,Science, 149 (1965) 510–515.

    Google Scholar 

  6. p. 513.

    Google Scholar 

  7. p. 512.

    Google Scholar 

  8. .

    Google Scholar 

  9. R. E. BURTON, R. W. KEBLER, The ‘Haf-life’ of Some Scientific and Technical Literatures,Am. Doc., 11 (1960) 18.

    Google Scholar 

  10. PRICE, 514.

    Google Scholar 

  11. PRICE,.

    Google Scholar 

  12. D. J. de SOLLA PRICE, Citation Measures of Hard Science, Soft Science, Technology, and Non-science, in:Communication among Scientists and Engineers, C. E. NELSON, D. K. POLLACK, Eds, Heat, Lexington, Mass., 1970, p. 6.

    Google Scholar 

  13. , p. 6–7.

    Google Scholar 

  14. , p. 15.

    Google Scholar 

  15. A list is provided in S. COLE, The Hierarchy of the Sciences,American Journal of Sociology, 89 (1983) No. 1, 111–139.

    Google Scholar 

  16. PRICE,, p. 12.

    Google Scholar 

  17. COLE.

    Google Scholar 

  18. ZUCKERMAN and MERTON.

    Google Scholar 

  19. .

    Google Scholar 

  20. PRICE, p. 515.

    Google Scholar 

  21. B. C. GRIFFITH, H. G. SMALL, J. A. STONEHILL, S. DEY, The Structure of Scientific Literatures II: Toward a Macro-and Microstructure for Science,Science Studies, 4 (1974) 339–365; H. G. SMALL, B. C. GRIFFITH, The Structure of Scientific Literatures I: Identifying and Graphing Specialties,Science Studies, 4 (1974) 17–40.

    Google Scholar 

  22. M. C. DEAN, A Quantitative Analysis of Theory Change in Experimental Operant Psychology, paper presented at the fifth annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science, Toronto, October 17–19, 1980.

  23. H. G. SMALL, A Co-citaton Model of a Scientific Specialty: A Longitudinal Study of Collagen Research,Social Studies of Science, 7 (1977), 139–166.

    Google Scholar 

  24. D. SULLIVAN, D. KOESTER, D. H. WHITE, R. KERN, “Understanding Rapid Theoretic Change in Particle Physics: A Month-by-month Co-citation Analysis,” in:Information Choices and Policies, Knowledge Industries Publications, New York, 1979.

    Google Scholar 

  25. H. G. SMALL, D. CRANE, Specialties and Disciplines in Science and Social Science: An Examination of their Structures Using Citation Indexes,Scientometrics, 1 (1979) No. 5-6, 445–461.

    Google Scholar 

  26. H. G. SMALL, Cited Documents as Concept Symbols,Social Studies of Science, 8 (1978) 327–340.

    Google Scholar 

  27. S. E. COZZENS, Life History of a Knowledge Claim: The Opiate Receptor Case, paper presented at the Sixth annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science, Atlanta, November 4–6, 1981.

  28. H. DOLMAN, H. BODEWITZ, Sedimantation of a Scientific Concept: the Use of Citation Data, unpublished manuscript, Science Studies Unit, State University of Groningen, The Netherlands, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  29. S. E. COZZENS, Comparing the Sciences: Citation Context Analysis of Papers from Neuropharmacology and the Sociology of Science, forthcoming inSocial Studies of Science 15 (1985) No. 1.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Policy Research and Analysis, 20550, Washington, D. C., (USA)

    Susan E. Cozzens

Authors
  1. Susan E. Cozzens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cozzens, S.E. Using the archive: Derek Price's theory of differences among the sciences. Scientometrics 7, 431–441 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017159

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02017159

Keywords

Search

Navigation