The dynamics of disciplines and the composition of research portfolios: from meteorology to avian flu

Matthew Wallace
INGENIO [CSIC-UPV]
Wednesday, 11 December 2013 - 12:00

In this presentation, I will discuss some quantitative and qualitative approaches to examining given fields of research in a national or international context. Specifically, I will argue for a history and sociology of science which combines analyses of social and cognitive structures by using disciplines, specializations and portfolios as units of analysis. I will refer the example of atmospheric science in Canada to illustrate how one can understand the emergence and dynamics of a discipline on a national scale. Similarly, I will propose a new approach to examining research portfolios using the example of avian influenza. In both cases, qualitative research methods should be used to complement and critically assess quantitative data.

Place: 

Ciudad Politécnica de la Innovación
Edificio 8E, Acceso J, Planta 4ª (Sala Descubre. Cubo Rojo)
Universidad Politécnica de Valencia | Camino de Vera s/n

Short CV: 

See Matthew's profile here.