The interdisciplinarity dilemma: Public versus private interests

Researchers often receive contrasting incentives when conducting their work. On the one hand, an interdisciplinary approach is required to produce scientific advances and access to funding. On the other, academic scholarships and evaluation mechanisms are still organized following the criteria of traditional disciplinary fields. If pursuing interdisciplinary research results in contrasting outcomes, science may face an interdisciplinarity dilemma: should researchers pursue their own private interest to build a reputation? Or should they endeavor towards public interest? How costly in terms of reputation is to choose interdisciplinarity research (IDR) over (more) specialized research? We answer these questions by exploiting data on 23,926 articles published by 6,105 researchers affiliated with the University of Florida in the period 2008–2013. Through individual fixed-effect, we compare articles of the same scholar to roll out the influence of individual characteristics on the scientific impact of their research. We find that the diverse dimensions of IDR (Variety, Balance, and Disparity) have a different effect on the reputation of a scholar and on her contribution to societal research. We confirm the existence of trade-off between private and public interest. We also point out that the increase of IDR aiming at connecting distant disciplines reduces the usefulness of the resulting knowledge. Results are robust to various specifications and apply to all scholars, regardless of their gender, collaboration behavior, discipline, and performance. These findings pose challenging questions to policymakers.     

Conceptualising the heterogeneity of research-based spin-offs: A multi-dimensional taxonomy

Research-based spin-offs (RBSOs) have become an important aspect of the technology transfer process. Emanating from what is conventionally a non-commercial environment, RBSOs pose major challenges if they are to realise their potential to meet the objectives of their founders and the parent research organisations (PROs) from which they emerge. An important issue is to understand the heterogeneity of RBSOs. This paper reviews the literature on RBSO typologies to develop a taxonomy of RBSOs. We identify common themes in relation to these typologies in relation to (1) spin-off creation and (2) spin-off development. The dimensions that differentiate between firms are the type of resources, the business model and the institutional link. We identify gaps in current typologies in order to propose avenues for future conceptual and empirical research.     

Objectives, agreements and matching in science-industry collaborations: reassembling the pieces of the puzzle

Science-industry collaborations have been the subject of a considerable attention in the last few years. The paper argues that, however, the existing studies are still restricted to a partial view of the phenomenon. In this respect, our study departs from the specialised literature by taking into consideration, for a given set of heterogeneous collaborations, information from both the academics’ and the firms’ side, relative to their characteristics, their aims and the collaboration settings. To do so, we constructed a database of 46 collaborations from original data we collected, in several European countries and in the US, within the SESI-TSER project. The first outcome of our study is a typology of science-industry collaborations built on a formal procedure (a multi-correspondence analysis followed by an ascendant hierarchical classification) exhibiting five coherent types of collaborations that we describe precisely. Highlighting the crucial importance of research agendas, we thus propose a simple rationale for the matching process. The latter leads us to propose an “assortative” matching hypothesis generating two polar configurations which we test and confirm. Finally, we examine the policy implications of the findings.     

Factors associated with disciplinary and interdisciplinary research collaboration

There is a lack of understanding regarding the optimal conditions for interdisciplinary research. This study investigates what characteristics of researchers are associated with disciplinary and interdisciplinary research collaborations and what collaborations are most rewarding in different scientific disciplines. Our results confirm that female scientists are more engaged in interdisciplinary research collaborations. Further, a scientist's years of research experience are positively related with both types of collaboration. Work experience in firms or governmental organizations increases the propensity of interdisciplinary collaborations, but decreases that of disciplinary collaborations. Disciplinary collaborations occur more frequent in basic disciplines; interdisciplinary collaborations more in strategic disciplines. We also found that in both types of disciplines, disciplinary collaborations contribute more to career development than interdisciplinary collaborations. We conclude with three recommendations for science and innovation policy, while emphasising the need to distinguish between different scientific disciplines.     

简析“冰岛现代传媒倡议”

＂冰岛现代传媒倡议＂议案要求通过修改一系列法律以达到对媒体、记者和线人的最大保护。这项议案的执行将为冰岛信息传媒产业的发展建立良好的法律环境,也有助于推动国际新闻传媒界和出版界相关法律规范的完善。对我国制定新闻传媒领域的相关改革措施具有积极的启示意义。     

计算语言学——一门新兴的交叉学科

计算语言学是计算机科学和语言学、心理学、哲学等多种学科相结合的一门新兴的交叉学科,虽然只有短短几十年的发展历程,却有着越来越广阔的应用前景,成为信息时代不可缺少的一门重要学科。本文详细阐述了计算语言学的发展历史、学科性质、学科定位、研究内容及研究方法;对当前研究的难点课题也进行了探讨,并提出了建议。     

Who moves to the methodological edge? Factors that encourage scientists to use unconventional methods

Breaking from tradition is necessary for scientific advancement, yet we know little about the factors that encourage scientists to break from tradition in their research, particularly by using methods that are unconventional in their fields. To address this gap, we integrate the sociology of science with insights from organization theory, which delineates the evaluative advantages bestowed on those with elite status and a consistent professional identity. We use a mixed methods design. Bibliometric data on articles using three unconventional methods in sociology—Correspondence Analysis, Qualitative Comparative Analysis, and Sequence Analysis—allow us to identify which types of scholars have a greater hazard of using unconventional methods and the conditions under which these associations hold. Interviews with published, unpublished, and likely users reveal how scholars manage the career risks associated with unconventional method use. We find that scholars who are male and affiliated with top-tier universities, as well as those already committed to an identity consistent with the use of unconventional methods, have a greater hazard of using them in published work, though these associations depend on the extent to which the method diverges epistemologically from conventional methodology and the visibility of its lineage. In addition, we identify five successful (and two unsuccessful) strategies scholars use to manage their use of unconventional methods. Taken together, results from this mixed methods study advance knowledge on scientific practice, extend organization theory, and provides guidance to policymakers and administrators who aim to foster risky, path-breaking research.     

Triple Helix indicators of knowledge-based innovation systems: Introduction to the special issue

When two selection environments operate upon each other, mutual shaping in a co-evolution along a particular trajectory is one possible outcome. When three selection environments are involved, more complex dynamics can be expected as a result of interactions involving bi-lateral and tri-lateral relations. Three selection environments are specified in the Triple Helix model: (1) wealth generation (industry), (2) novelty production (academia), and (3) public control (government). Furthermore, this model somewhat reduces the complexity by using university-industry-government relations for the specification of the historical conditions of the non-linear dynamics. Whereas the historical analysis informs us about how institutions and institutional arrangements carry certain functions, the evolutionary analysis focuses on the functions of selection environments in terms of outputs. One can no longer expect a one-to-one correspondence between institutions and functions; a statistics is needed for the evaluation of how, for how long, and to what extent institutional arrangements enhance synergies among different selection environments. The empirical contributions to this Triple Helix issue point in the direction of “rich ecologies”: the construction of careful balances between differentiation and integration among the three functions.     

When is an invention really radical?: Defining and measuring technological radicalness

We develop a valid definition of technological radicalness which states that a successful radical invention is: (1) novel; (2) unique; and (3) has an impact on future technology. The first two criteria allow us to identify potentially radical inventions ex ante market introduction; adding the third condition, we can ex post determine if an invention served as an important change agent. Empirically testable condition selected 6 of 581 tennis racket patents granted between 1971 and 2001. Two of the identified patents - the oversized and the wide-body rackets - are considered radical inventions by industry experts. Applying our definition and operationalization would allow researchers to achieve greater generalizability across studies, avoid endogenous definitions of radicalness, and study predictors of market success for radical inventions.     

高新技术企业综合竞争力监测指标设计及归类分析

针对层次分析法(AHP)和变异系数法(CV)的单一赋权方法在高新技术企业竞争力评估中的不足,提出一套综合权重赋值方法称为AHP-CV。首先从广东省科技大数据平台中获取高新技术企业的登记数据集,根据预设维度分类规则分类至预设企业维度,然后基于AHP-CV设计指标权重算法模型计算各企业维度对应的评分值,最后从3个企业维度对不同领域高新技术企业进行归类分析,根据归类结果对高新技术企业的发展状况进行评估,设计能够实时监测高新技术企业综合竞争力的监控系统。实证分析表明此监测算法模型能够很好地对高新技术企业进行监测。基于该监测算法的监控系统已经成功运用于广东省科技大数据平台,将实时对广东省内高新技术企业的综合竞争力进行监测,为各级有关监管部门决策提供参考。     

安全科学:一个新兴的交叉学科门类

安全科学是介于数学、自然科学、系统科学与哲学、社会科学、思维科学各科学部类之间的新兴交叉学科门类。其分支学科依据研究内容及其理论性、实践性特征的差异 ,相对地区分为五个群组。为使安全科学平稳地走过艰难的始创阶段 ,今后一个时期应实施积极而有效的发展对策。     

跨学科团队创新绩效的影响因素——基于美国综合性大学的实证研究

本文根据美国综合性大学的科研团队研究提案的数据,研究考察了跨学科研究团队的组成因素与研究提案通过率的相关关系。研究发现,一方面,跨学科研究团队的学科领域数对于研究提案的成功通过没有显著影响;另一方面,跨学科研究团队的任职部门数与研究提案的通过有负相关关系。同时在团队中,资深教授的参与对研究提案的通过有显著的正面影响,而助理教授的参与则对研究提案的通过有负面影响。该研究显示,跨学科团队科研课题的提出需要避免盲目追求跨学科的程度,而应当注重提高研究团队的相关经验和专注度。     

基于核心论文数量和被引频次双重分布的百分位数指标改进研究

【目的】 改进现有百分位数指标在揭示期刊载文量特征方面的不足,构建基于被引频次与载文量双重分布的期刊评价指标PRC。【方法】 以2016版《期刊引证报告》生物学学科的85种期刊为研究样本,通过二八定律筛选核心论文样本集,利用布拉德福区域分析法设计基于文献密度分布的载文量权重,利用百分位数建立基于被引频次分布的引文指标,构建期刊综合影响力评价指标PRC。比较PRC与其他文献计量指标的相关性,验证指标评价效果。【结果】 PRC不仅在一定程度上克服了影响因子的内在缺陷,也能合理揭示期刊的出版规模效应,很好地均衡了相对值和绝对值两类指标,改进了百分位数指标的评价效果。【结论】 PRC指标兼顾被引频次和载文量双重分布,从数量和质量两个维度衡量期刊影响力,可用于评价科技期刊的学术影响力。     

Universities and industrially relevant science: Towards measurement models and indicators of entrepreneurial orientation

Which university departments engaged in industrially relevant science are likely candidates to become entrepreneurial? At present, there are neither measurement models nor leading indicators that can answer such questions at an international comparative level. This paper introduces concepts, theory, and a measurement model for identifying (the early stages of) a university's enterpreneurial orientation within a quantitative analytical framework. This approach focuses specifically on university–industry interactions, in which the connectivity between academic science and industrial research is captured and measured empirically in terms of (1) public–private co-authored research articles, and (2) references (‘citations’) within corporate research articles to university research articles.The paper examines a range of country-level and institutional determinants of industrially relevant science, across 18 research areas of significant industrial interest, and at two different levels of analysis: research systems of OECD countries, and large sets of research universities within those countries. The results of these large-scale analyses, along with those of a case study dealing with European universities active in the field of immunology research, suggest that many structural factors determine university–industry interactions and (the potential for) entrepreneurial orientation. The two connectivity indicators appear to be of minor significance compared to a university's country of location and the magnitude of its research activities in industrially relevant fields of science.     

期刊单元下参考文献与论文被引频次间的关系——以Web of Science凝聚态物理学科为例

【目的】 探究参考文献各指标与论文被引频次之间的关系,为撰写高被引论文、科学评价计量学指标等提供参考。【方法】 以2013年Web of Science中凝聚态物理学科下的12种期刊共计8847篇论文为样本数据,利用负二项回归模型测度了参考文献的4类指标与论文被引频次之间的关系。【结果】 在控制期刊影响因子的前提下,12种期刊的代表时间维度的普赖斯指数都与论文被引频次之间存在显著的正相关关系;在大多数期刊中,参考文献的数量和表征跨学科性的香农指数也对论文的被引频次有显著正影响;而表征论文质量的篇均参考文献被引频次中值与论文被引频次之间的相关关系不明确。【结论】 参考文献的一些指标可能影响论文的被引频次,结合实证结果,对科研工作者合理利用参考文献产出高质量论文提出相应建议。     

The relationship between interdisciplinarity and distinct modes of university-industry interaction

Interdisciplinary research (IDR) has raised increasing expectations among scholars and policymakers about its potential to produce ground-breaking scientific contributions and satisfy societal demands. While existing research highlights that novel connections across fields is beneficial for scientific contributions with high academic impact, comparatively less is known about whether IDR is positively associated to scientists’ engagement with non-academic actors. To investigate this, we examine whether there is a systematic relationship between scientists’ IDR-orientation and their interactions with industry. We conceptually distinguish four stylized modes of interaction (firm creation, technology transfer, co-production and response modes) and employ three distinct indicators of IDR. We use data on 1,170 scientists affiliated to public research organizations in Spain, bibliometric dataset of scientists’ publications, and details of scientists’ past involvement in interactions with industry. Our results show that IDR has a transversal influence on all four modes. However, IDR-oriented scientists are more strongly associated to transactional (market-mediated) compared to relational (personal-based) interaction mechanisms; while we find no evidence of a significant difference between IDR-oriented scientists and their propensity to engage in different modes of U-I interaction according to the degree of goal specificity.     

When neighboring disciplines fail to learn from each other: The case of innovation and project management research

As knowledge production becomes more specialized, studying complex and multi-faceted empirical realities becomes more difficult. This has created a growing need for cross-fertilization and collaboration between research disciplines. According to prior studies, the sharing of concepts, ideas and empirical domains with other disciplines may promote cross-fertilization. We challenge this one-sided view. Based on an analysis of the parallel development of the neighboring disciplines of innovation studies and project management, we show that the sharing of concepts and empirical domains can have ambivalent effects. Under conditions of ideological distancing, shared concepts and domains will be narrowly assimilated ? an effect we call ‘encapsulation’ – which creates an illusion of sharing, while promoting further self-containment. By comparison, reflexive meta-theories and cross-disciplinary community-building will enable a form of sharing that promotes cross-fertilization. Our findings inform research on research specialization, cross-fertilization and effectiveness of interdisciplinary collaboration.     

海洋腐蚀防护的现状与未来

海洋环境是最为恶劣的自然腐蚀环境;海洋腐蚀问题是海洋工程安全服役面临的主要威胁,也给国民经济带来巨大的损失。未来人类对海洋开发的深度和广度将不断拓展,也将面临不断出现新的腐蚀问题的挑战。文章结合目前海洋开发研究的现状及未来发展趋势,介绍了海洋腐蚀环境特点,分析了我国海洋腐蚀防护现状及需求,并对海洋腐蚀防护研究以及相关政策规章的制定提出了建议。     

Interdisciplinarity and the information-seeking behavior of scientists

Adopting an intradisciplinary perspective, this article evaluates the information-seeking behavior of academics from different subfields of physics and astronomy. It investigates the effect of interdisciplinarity (reliance on the literature of other subjects) and the scatter of literature on two aspects of the information-seeking behavior: methods used for keeping up-to-date and for identifying articles. To this end a survey of 114 PhD students and staff at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University College London was carried out. The findings showed that the subfields that are more interdisciplinary or have a more scattered literature are more likely to use general search facilities for finding information. The study also showed that cross-disciplinary use of the literature is not necessarily an indicator of scattered literature. The study reveals intradisciplinary differences among physicists and astronomers in terms of their information-seeking behavior and highlights the risk of overlooking the characteristics of information-seeking behavior of specialized subject communities by focusing on very broad subject categories.     

Priority Setting and Resource Allocation in Australian Biomedical Research: Muddling with Some Skill

Examined here are models of resource allocation adopted by Australia's premier biomedical research funding council, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), since pressure to make research more 'relevant' has been exerted. For a council that disburses its funds chiefly to high-impact fundamental research, allocating resources to priority-driven research that contributes directly to population health and evidence-based health care is a challenging transition. It is contended that while the NHMRC has attempted to accommodate a 'rationalist' user-driven approach to resource allocation, it has moved only marginally away from a highly decentralised (investigator-driven) model to a mixed-mode system that resembles 'muddling with some skill'.