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arXiv · 1206.0108

The evolution of interdisciplinarity in physics research

Raj Kumar Pan·Sitabhra Sinha·Kimmo Kaski·Jari Saramäki
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Abstract

Science, being a social enterprise, is subject to fragmentation into groups that focus on specialized areas or topics. Often new advances occur through cross-fertilization of ideas between sub-fields that otherwise have little overlap as they study dissimilar phenomena using different techniques. Thus to explore the nature and dynamics of scientific progress one needs to consider the large-scale organization and interactions between different subject areas. Here, we study the relationships between the sub-fields of Physics using the Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme (PACS) codes employed for self-categorization of articles published over the past 25 years (1985-2009). We observe a clear trend towards increasing interactions between the different sub-fields. The network of sub-fields also exhibits core-periphery organization, the nucleus being dominated by Condensed Matter and General Physics. However, over time Interdisciplinary Physics is steadily increasing its share in the network core, reflecting a shift in the overall trend of Physics research.

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Raj Kumar Pan, Sitabhra Sinha, Kimmo Kaski, Jari Saramäki. 2012-08-16. The evolution of interdisciplinarity in physics research. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep00551

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