Sociology of Science

How to Map and Explain the Diversity of Research Programs in the Field of Science Studies

by Andrey Kozhanov

report for Society of Social Studies of Science Annual Meeting, 2011.
This project is in progress...

On Driving a Car and Being a Family: An Autoethnography

by Chaim Noy

Book Chapter. In Vannini, P. (ed.) Material Culture and Technology in Everyday Life: Ethnographic Approaches. New York: Peter Lang. pp. 101-113. 2009.
*One of my (own) favorite articles

Based on observations of drivers and passengers who engage in everyday car-ride routines, this presentation... more Based on observations of drivers and passengers who engage in everyday car-ride routines, this presentation conceptualizes urban transportation as a highly complex social system, constitutive of everyday life. In this system, the common practice of car-driving is achieved via a set of ongoing cursive and non-cursive interactions. These interactions are materialized in and through the car, where unique material and technological features offer and shape a rich platform of interactional functions and affordances (Featherstone et al., 2005). These analytically include interactions inside the car, interactions with other vehicles, and interactions with the transportation infrastructure. Through situated, co-occurring and multimodal interactions various social roles are performatively sustained while driving. In this article, the examination of two pairs of roles will serve as case study: the interrelated performances of driver-passenger/father-daughter. While these roles are accomplished performatively in and through routine conversational exchanges, they are embodiments of different social systems: transportation (automobility) and family. While these roles sometimes contradict, at other times they interestingly reinforce each other; in both cases, these occurrences shape and are shaped by the activities of car-driving. The work is informed by ethnomethodological sensitivities and sensibilities, and uses ethnographic methods for researching language and communication within the context of automobility.

How Facts Travel: The Model Systems of Sociology

by Monika Krause

with Michael Guggenheim, Poetics 40 (2012) 101–117

The discussion in the sociology of science about the role of model systems in biology provides an invitation to... more The discussion in the sociology of science about the role of model systems in biology provides an invitation to reflect on whether and how similar devices operate in sociology. This paper shows that sociology relies on objects of study that receive a disproportionate amount of attention and implicitly come to stand in for a specific class of objects. But, unlike other disciplines, sociology has no agreed language or theory to classify the discipline-specific objects that it studies, which hinders explicit reflection on the use of model systems across sociological subfields. In contrast to other disciplines, which use model systems physical copies of sociological model systems usually do not travel. Because of this, the relationship between specimen and epistemic object is less standardised in sociology than in other disciplines, which creates problems for the accumulation of knowledge. Sociology also encounters unique problems of access to model systems.

What symbols

by Dmitry Misyurov

This article contains 12 questions about the symbols. What are your thoughts in response? This article contains 12 questions about the symbols. What are your thoughts in response?

Organized ambivalence: when sickle cell disease and stem cell research converge

by Ruha Benjamin

Food, Drugs, and TV: The Social Study of Corporate Science

by David Schleifer

Coauthored with Bart Penders, published in Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society 31 (6), 431-434.

The vast, heterogeneous, and consequential world of cor-
porate science demands and invites empirical inquiry. The vast, heterogeneous, and consequential world of cor-
porate science demands and invites empirical inquiry.

Introducció a la segona edició de The Focused Interview de Robert K. Merton

by Xavier Gimeno Torrent

Authored by Robert K. Merton; translated by Xavier Gimeno Torrent. Published in Revista Catalana de Sociologia, 2011, volume 27: 89-103

No abstract available. No abstract available.

Cross-Species Databases

by Sabina Leonelli

Published in Social Studies of Science, April 2012.

Insieme ma soli di Sherry Turkle, un libro chiave sul meccanismo dell’auto inganno.

by Pietro Piro

Recensione critica a S. Turkle, Insieme ma soli. Perché ci aspettiamo sempre più dalla tecnologia e sempre meno dagli altri, Codice Edizioni, Torino 2012.

Il libro della psicologa del MIT di Boston Sherry Turkle, Insieme ma soli. Perché ci aspettiamo sempre più dalla... more Il libro della psicologa del MIT di Boston Sherry Turkle, Insieme ma soli. Perché ci aspettiamo sempre più dalla tecnologia e sempre meno dagli altri, ha il merito di riuscire a far luce sull’intimità del rapporto uomo-robot. Tuttavia, ci troviamo di fronte ad un libro drammatico. In cosa consiste questo dramma? L’uomo che vive nelle società del cosiddetto benessere avanzato si trova di fronte ad un bivio: o cambiare la propria realtà oppure, costruirsene un’artificiale dove vivere assecondando i propri desideri, perlopiù inconsci. L’autrice ci dimostra, senza troppi moralismi, che proprio dove l’organizzazione del lavoro assorbe maggiori energie, le persone sono spinte potentemente verso un mondo virtuale dove realizzare i propri bisogni più intimi. Analizzando questo libro nella sua portata più ampia, mi pare che faccia da calco al reale e non da carta, e che non sia stato scritto per indicarci la via d’uscita per una realtà (che appare, per chi ha ancora occhi collegati a un cuore umano, di una tristezza disarmante) quanto piuttosto, per avvertirci dell’eventualità di una futura espropriazione da parte della logica dei robot e preparare il terreno per nuove e imprevedibili relazioni di dominio.

Carmen Osuna, Laura Cruz-Castro; Luis Sanz-Menendez (2011). "Overturning some assumptions about the effects of evaluation systems on publication performance". Scientometrics 86 (3): 575-592

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

"Published in "Scientometrics" 86 (3): 575-592"

In 1989 the Spanish Government established an individual retrospective research evaluation system (RES) for public... more In 1989 the Spanish Government established an individual retrospective research evaluation system (RES) for public researchers. Policy makers have associated the establishment of this evaluation system with the significant increase in the volume of scientific publications attributed to Spain over the last decades. In a similar vein to the analyses of other country cases, some scholars have also claimed that the growth of Spain’s international scientific publications is a result of the establishment of the new evaluation system. In this paper, we provide a methodological revision of the validity threats in previous research, including some interrupted time-series analyses and control groups to investigate the effects of this policy instrument on the number of papers produced by
Spanish authors. In the years following the establishment of the evaluation system, the results indicate a considerable increase in the number of papers attributed to Spanish
authors among those eligible for evaluation (the ‘‘treated’’ group), but also in the control groups. After testing various alternative explanations, we conclude that the growth in
Spanish publications cannot be attributed indisputably to the effect of the establishment of the RES, but rather to the increase of expenditure and number of researchers in the Spanish R&D system along with some maturation effects. We take this case as an example of the need to improve and refine methodologies and to be more cautious when attributing effects to research evaluation mechanisms at the national level.

Research Evaluation in Transition: Individual versus Organisational Assessment in Spain

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

Laura Cruz-Castro; Luis Sanz-Menéndez (2008)
“Research Evaluation in Transition: Individual versus Organisational Assessment in Spain”,
in The Sociology of Sciences Yearbook, [The Changing Governance of the Sciences. The Advent of the Research Evaluation Systems, (edited by Richard Whitley and Jochen Gläser)], vol 26, 2008, Springer: Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 2008, pp. 205-223.

Research evaluation has been an essential practice of the regular functioning of the research system (Zuckerman and... more Research evaluation has been an essential practice of the regular functioning of the research system (Zuckerman and Merton, 1971; Cole and Cole, 1973). Reputational competition (Merton, 1957; Ben-David, 1971, 1972; Whitley, 2000; Dasgupta and David, 1994) has been shaped by mechanisms of evaluation of research mostly identified with the practice of peer review for journals’ publications (Campanario, 1998 a, b; Cole, 1998). Some of these practices for publishing papers or awarding prizes have been extended to the allocation of the funding for research from governments or intermediary organisations (Chubin and Hackett, 1991; Cole, Rubin and Cole, 1978).
More recently, state research evaluation systems (RES)1 have been developed in a number of countries in the context of new public management practices, scarce public funds and increasing accountability requests (Georghiou, 1995), and the allocation of resources for organizations and programs has become more and more connected to the evaluation of research (Geuna and Martin, 2003; Liefner, 2003). Additionally, the dominant ex ante or project appraisal approaches have been complemented by the institutionalisation of retrospective ex post evaluations of research performance2, as the papers by Kneller, Cozzens ands others in this volume discuss

Laura Cruz Castro; Luis Sanz Menéndez (2007) “New legitimation models and the transformation of the research field”. International Studies of Management and Organization, vol. 37, n.1, 2007, p. 27-52,.

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

"Published in "International Studies of Management and Organization", [special issue on Organizing Science (edited by Joanne Duberley & Laurie Cohen)] vol. 37, n.1, 2007, p. 27-52,.

The public research sector is changing all over Europe. New semi-public research centers have emerged and now coexist... more The public research sector is changing all over Europe. New semi-public research centers have emerged and now coexist with the traditional public research centers in the same organizational field. It is argued that these changes are mostly policy driven and that the main mechanism is the emergence of new legitimation models of what research and research centers should be for, with a strong emphasis on excellence in science, technology transfer, and service to society. Governments have changed the way they distribute resources or create research structures according to these changing models. As in many other events of the history of science and technology policy, the boundary struggles and changes are underlying issues in this paper. This transformation in the institutional environments of the research centers has instigated changes in the structure of the organizational field of research, mainly reflecting the emergence of new types of organizations and their search for management flexibility and the diversification of funding sources.

Coping with environmental pressures: public research organisations responses to funding crises

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

Luis Sanz Menéndez; Laura Cruz Castro (2003)
“Coping with environmental pressures: Public Research Organizations responses to funding crisis”,
Research Policy vol 32, n.8. September 2003, pp. 1293-1308.

The research system is highly dependent upon the resources provided by the political system. Rising costs of research... more The research system is highly dependent upon the resources provided by the political system. Rising costs of research projects and the emergence of financial problems in government have triggered a reduction in direct support to public research organisations (PROs). The aim of this paper is to analyse how a group of Spanish public research organisations affected by the reduction in direct transfers of State funds have reacted to this situation. By reviewing the PROs’ responses, an institutionalist
argument is built up based on the degree and type of autonomy which the centres and researchers enjoy. Factors which explain the diversity in response of the centres in their funding strategies are: (a) the political autonomy of the PROs with respect to their tutelary ministries, and (b) the autonomy of the researchers within the organisation, the nature of the individual incentive programmes and their level of dependence on collective resources.

Der parallaktische Blick: Der militarische Ursprung der Holographie

by Sean Johnston

Chapter in Das holographische Wissen, edited by Stefan Rieger and Jens Schroter

The title of this chapter is meant to evoke at least three sources. The first – and perhaps the only obvious one –... more The title of this chapter is meant to evoke at least three sources. The first – and perhaps the only obvious one – concerns the ability of holograms to display parallax, a shifting of visual viewpoint that allows a three-dimensional image to reveal background objects behind those in the foreground. This parallax view is a unique feature of holograms as visual media. A second allusion is to the American film The Parallax View (1974, director A. J. Pakula), a rather paranoid thriller focusing on conspiracy theories concerning government and corporations. To a casual observer, the bare details of the military origins of holography suggest just such cynical and centrally-directed development, although I hope to dispel such simplistic ideas here. And a third passing reference is to the book The Parallax View (2006) by Slavoj Zizek, a wide-ranging and deep exploration of duality in political views, ontological interpretations and scientific methods, among other topics.
Zizek’s theme, as well as Pakula’s, is relevant to my approach, which focuses on a parallax of both practice and intent. During the first successful decade of holography, conflicting viewpoints developed between distinct communities: the militarily-guided engineers who invented practical holography, and the later imaging scientists and artisans who stressed three-dimensionality and other attributes instead of the original goal of optical image processing. I argue that distinct groups of users had different perceptions of what holography is and what it is for.

Laura Cruz-Castro; Luis Sanz-Menéndez (2010). “Mobility vs. job stability: Assessing tenure and productivity outcomes”. Research Policy 39(1), February 2010, pp.27-38,

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

"Published in "Research Policy" 39(1), February 2010, pp.27-38,

Based on the data from survey responses and publications of 1583 academic scientists in Spain, this paper examines the... more Based on the data from survey responses and publications of 1583 academic scientists in Spain, this paper examines the relationship between scientific performance and reward, considering tenure and permanent positions as key academic rewards in early phases of academic career and focusing especially on the mediating effect of mobile versus stable career paths. Although widely practiced, inbreeding has often been considered to be at odds with universalism and merit in science. Our findings indicate that inbred faculty does not get tenure with less scientific merits than PhDs from other institutions; we also find that non-mobile careers are a strong predictor of the timing of rewards in the form of early permanent positions. Our results question the assumption mainly based on US evidence that mobility enhances career. These findings must be interpreted in the context of organizational and institutional features of the Spanish academic system that promote the development of internal academic research job markets.

Interdisciplinarity as a multidimensional concept: its measure in three different research areas

by Luis Sanz-Menendez

Luis Sanz Menéndez, María Bordons & M. Angeles Zulueta (2001) “Interdisciplinarity as a multidimensional concept: its measure in three different research areas”, Research Evaluation, vol. 10, nº 1, april, pp. 39-50.

Interdisciplinarity is analyzed in three different research areas: pharmacology and pharmacy,cardiovascular system and... more Interdisciplinarity is analyzed in three different research areas: pharmacology and pharmacy,cardiovascular system and materials science, using data from a survey to Spanish scientists. The study focuses on three complementary dimensions: diversity in personal training and research specialization of scientists; research practices and behavior of the groups; and the cognitive inputs and outputs of the research activity.
Interdisciplinarity emerges as a doubleedged process: of jumping into a new area with people of different disciplines, in coherence with the traditional disciplinary research teams; and of specialization in a field traditionally dominated by a single group of disciplinary backgrounds, in which researchers from different areas join the teams. Thus specialization– fragmentation–hybridization all come together.

Mobility versus job stability: Assessing tenure and productivity outcomes

by Laura Cruz-Castro

Laura Cruz-Castro; Luis Sanz-Menéndez (2010). “Mobility vs. job stability: Assessing tenure and productivity outcomes”. Research Policy 39(1), February 2010, pp.27-38

Based on the data from survey responses and publications of 1583 academic scientists in Spain, this paper examines the... more Based on the data from survey responses and publications of 1583 academic scientists in Spain, this paper examines the relationship between scientific performance and reward, considering tenure and permanent positions as key academic rewards in early phases of academic career and focusing especially on the mediating effect of mobile versus stable career paths. Although widely practiced, inbreeding has often been considered to be at odds with universalism and merit in science. Our findings indicate that inbred faculty does not get tenure with less scientific merits than PhDs from other institutions; we also find that non-mobile careers are a strong predictor of the timing of rewards in the form of early permanent positions. Our results question the assumption mainly based on US evidence that mobility enhances career. These findings must be interpreted in the context of organizational and institutional features of the Spanish academic system that promote the development of internal academic research job markets.

Science and Technology Studies <2010>

by Joerg Potthast

book chapter

eds. Dagmar Simon, Andreas Knie, Stefan Hornbostel, Handbuch Wissenschaftspolitik, Wiesbaden: VS, 91-105

Handbook article on how research in the field of Science and Technology Studies relates to science policy. Handbook article on how research in the field of Science and Technology Studies relates to science policy.

Re-thinking Science Industry Relations Along the Interactive Model: The Case of Academic Spin Offs <2009>

by Joerg Potthast

WZB discussion paper SP III 2009-602, 60 pages

Academic spin-offs are private firms founded in direct connection with a transfer of knowledge or technology from... more Academic spin-offs are private firms founded in direct connection with a transfer of knowledge or technology from public research facilities or universities. This direct relationship is established through patents or persons who transfer to the spin-off. Based on this definition the present contribution analyses interactions between public research institutions and academic spin-offs. Closely looking at a limited number of cases, a broad definition of "interaction" has been applied which includes flows of people (between both types of organizations), joint activities of knowledge production, and flows of money. With regard to three areas of research and innovation, namely IT, biotechnology and nanotechnology, the analysis of interactions has enabled the establishment of a finely grained picture of repercussions resulting from various forms of interaction. The analyses undertaken by research teams in Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK are based upon approaches in the economics of innovation, sociology of organizations, studies on higher education and science studies.

O papel das aproximações na Física: o caso de experimentos e teorias controversas no efeito Casimir

by Luis Reyes-Galindo