arXiv subjects

Loet Leydesdorff

Publications and source records attributed to Loet Leydesdorff.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

The Triple Helix Model and the Meta-Stabilization of Urban Technologies in Smart Cities

The Triple Helix model of university-industry-government relations can be generalized from a neo-institutional model of networks to a neo-evolutionary model of how three selection environments operate upon one another. The neo-evolutionary model enables us to appreciate both organizational integration in university-industry-government relations and differentiation among functions like the generation of intellectual capital, creation of wealth, and their attending legislation. The specification of innovation systems in terms of nations, sectors, cities, and regions can then be formulated as empirical questions: is synergy generated among functions in networks of relations? This Triple Helix model enables us to study the knowledge base of an urban economy in terms of a trade-off between locally stabilized and (potentially locked-in) trajectories versus the techno-economic and cultural development regimes which work with one more degree of freedom at the global level. The meta-stabilizing potentials of urban technologies between these two levels can be used reflexively as the intelligence of a creative reconstruction making cities smart(er).

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Uncertainty and the Communication of Time

Prigogine and Stengers (1988) have pointed to the centrality of the concepts of "time and eternity" for the cosmology contained in Newtonian physics, but they have not addressed this issue beyond the domain of physics. The construction of "time" in the cosmology dates back to debates among Huygens, Newton, and Leibniz. The deconstruction of this cosmology in terms of the philosophical questions of the 17th century suggests an uncertainty in the time dimension. While order has been conceived as an "harmonie préétablie", it is considered as emergent from an evolutionary perspective. In a "chaology", one should fully appreciate that different systems may use different clocks. Communication systems can be considered as contingent in space and time: substances contain force or action, and they communicate not only in (observable) extension, but also over time. While each communication system can be considered as a system of reference for a special theory of communication, the addition of an evolutionary perspective to the mathematical theory of communication opens up the possibility of a general theory of communication.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2010

The Evolution of Communication Systems

One can study communications by using Shannon's (1948) mathematical theory of communication. In social communications, however, the channels are not "fixed", but themselves subject to change. Communication systems change by communicating information to related communication systems; co-variation among systems if repeated over time, can lead to co-evolution. Conditions for stabilization of higher-order systems are specifiable: segmentation, stratification, differentiation, reflection, and self-organization can be distinguished in terms of developmental stages of increasingly complex networks. In addition to natural and cultural evolution, a condition for the artificial evolution of communication systems can be specified.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2010

The Non-linear Dynamics of Sociological Reflections

Actors are embedded in networks of communication: the relations of the actors can be represented as the rows of a matrix, while the column vectors represent their communications. The two systems are structurally coupled in the co-variation: each action can be considered as a communication with reference to the network. Co-variation among systems if repeated over time, may lead to co-evolution. Conditions for stabilization of higher-order systems are specifiable: segmentation, stratification, reflection, differentiation, and self-organization can be distinguished in terms of developmental stages of increasingly complex networks. The sociological theory of communication occupies a central position for the clarification of the possibility of a general theory of communication, since it confronts us with the limits of reflexivity in human understanding and reflexive discourse. The implications for modelling the relations among incommensurable discourses (e.g., paradigms) are elaborated.

nlin.AO↗

arXiv2010

A comparative study on communication structures of Chinese journals in the social sciences

We argue that the communication structures in the Chinese social sciences have not yet been sufficiently reformed. Citation patterns among Chinese domestic journals in three subject areas -- political science and marxism, library and information science, and economics -- are compared with their counterparts internationally. Like their colleagues in the natural and life sciences, Chinese scholars in the social sciences provide fewer references to journal publications than their international counterparts; like their international colleagues, social scientists provide fewer references than natural sciences. The resulting citation networks, therefore, are sparse. Nevertheless, the citation structures clearly suggest that the Chinese social sciences are far less specialized in terms of disciplinary delineations than their international counterparts. Marxism studies are more established than political science in China. In terms of the impact of the Chinese political system on academic fields, disciplines closely related to the political system are less specialized than those weakly related. In the discussion section, we explore reasons that may cause the current stagnation and provide policy recommendations.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Caveats for the journal and field normalizations in the CWTS ("Leiden") evaluations of research performance

The Center for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University advocates the use of specific normalizations for assessing research performance with reference to a world average. The Journal Citation Score (JCS) and Field Citation Score (FCS) are averaged for the research group or individual researcher under study, and then these values are used as denominators of the (mean) Citations per publication (CPP). Thus, this normalization is based on dividing two averages. This procedure only generates a legitimate indicator in the case of underlying normal distributions. Given the skewed distributions under study, one should average the observed versus expected values which are to be divided first for each publication. We show the effects of the Leiden normalization for a recent evaluation where we happened to have access to the underlying data.

cs.DL↗

arXiv2010

What Can Heterogeneity Add to the Scientometric Map? Steps towards algorithmic historiography

The Actor Network represents heterogeneous entities as actants (Callon et al., 1983; 1986). Although computer programs for the visualization of social networks increasingly allow us to represent heterogeneity in a network using different shapes and colors for the visualization, hitherto this possibility has scarcely been exploited (Mogoutov et al., 2008). In this contribution to the Festschrift, I study the question of what heterogeneity can add specifically to the visualization of a network. How does an integrated network improve on the one-dimensional ones (such as co-word and co-author maps)? The oeuvre of Michel Callon is used as the case materials, that is, his 65 papers which can be retrieved from the (Social) Science Citation Index since 1975.

cs.DL↗

arXiv2010

Mapping the Geography of Science: Distribution Patterns and Networks of Relations among Cities and Institutes

Using Google Earth, Google Maps and/or network visualization programs such as Pajek, one can overlay the network of relations among addresses in scientific publications on the geographic map. We discuss the pros en cons of the various options, and provide software (freeware) for bridging existing gaps between the Science Citation Indices and Scopus, on the one side, and these various visualization tools, on the other. At the level of city names, the global map can be drawn reliably on the basis of the available address information. At the level of the names of organizations and institutes, there are problems of unification both in the ISI-databases and Scopus. Pajek enables us to combine the visualization with statistical analysis, whereas the Google Maps and its derivates provide superior tools at the Internet.

cs.DL↗

arXiv2010

The Citation Field of Evolutionary Economics

Evolutionary economics has developed into an academic field of its own, institutionalized around, amongst others, the Journal of Evolutionary Economics (JEE). This paper analyzes the way and extent to which evolutionary economics has become an interdisciplinary journal, as its aim was: a journal that is indispensable in the exchange of expert knowledge on topics and using approaches that relate naturally with it. Analyzing citation data for the relevant academic field for the Journal of Evolutionary Economics, we use insights from scientometrics and social network analysis to find that, indeed, the JEE is a central player in this interdisciplinary field aiming mostly at understanding technological and regional dynamics. It does not, however, link firmly with the natural sciences (including biology) nor to management sciences, entrepreneurship, and organization studies. Another journal that could be perceived to have evolutionary acumen, the Journal of Economic Issues, does relate to heterodox economics journals and is relatively more involved in discussing issues of firm and industry organization. The JEE seems most keen to develop theoretical insights.

cs.DL↗

arXiv2010

Implicit media frames: Automated analysis of public debate on artificial sweeteners

The framing of issues in the mass media plays a crucial role in the public understanding of science and technology. This article contributes to research concerned with diachronic analysis of media frames by making an analytical distinction between implicit and explicit media frames, and by introducing an automated method for analysing diachronic changes of implicit frames. In particular, we apply a semantic maps method to a case study on the newspaper debate about artificial sweeteners, published in The New York Times (NYT) between 1980 and 2006. Our results show that the analysis of semantic changes enables us to filter out the dynamics of implicit frames, and to detect emerging metaphors in public debates. Theoretically, we discuss the relation between implicit frames in public debates and codification of information in scientific discourses, and suggest further avenues for research interested in the automated analysis of frame changes and trends in public debates.

cs.IR↗

arXiv2010

Is the European Monetary System converging to integration?

The emerging system at the European level can be conceptualized as a pattern of relations among member states that tends to be reproduced despite disturbances in individual trajectories. The Markov property is used as an indicator of systemness in the distribution. The individual trajectories of nations participating in the European Monetary System is assessed using an information theoretical model that is consistent with the Markov property in the multivariate case. Economic and monetary integration are analyzed using independent data sets. Increasing integration can be retrieved in both of these dimensions, notably since the currency crises of 1992 and 1993. However, the dynamics for countries which have strongly coupled their currency to the German Mark are different from those which did not. Additionally, developments in inflation and exchange rates at the European level are assessed in relation to global developments.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2010

Competing Technologies: Disturbance, Selection, and the Possibilities of Lock-in

Arthur's (1988) model for competing technologies is discussed from the perspective of evolution theory. Using Arthur's own model for the simulation, we show that 'lock-ins' can be suppressed by adding reflexivity or uncertainty on the side of consumers. Competing technologies then tend to remain in competition. From an evolutionary perspective, lock-ins and prevailing equilibrium can be considered as different trajectories of the techno-economic systems under study. Our simulation results suggest that technological developments which affect the natural preferences of consumers do not induce changes in trajectory, while changes in network parameters of a technology sometimes induce ordered substitution processes. These substitution processes have been shown empirically (e.g., Fisher & Prey, 1971), but hitherto they have been insufficiently understood from the perspective of evolutionary modelling. Implications for technology policies are discussed.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Scientometrics and Communication Theory: Towards Theoretically Informed Indicators

A theory of citations should not consider cited and/or citing agents as its sole subject of study. One is able to study also the dynamics in the networks of communications. While communicating agents (e.g., authors, laboratories, journals) can be made comparable in terms of their publication and citation counts, one would expect the communication networks not to be homogeneous. The latent structures of the network indicate different codifications that span a space of possible 'translations'. The various subdynamics can be hypothesized from an evolutionary perspective. Using the network of aggregated journal-journal citations in Science & Technology Studies as an empirical case, the operation of such subdynamics can be demonstrated. Policy implications and the consequences for a theory-driven type of scientometrics will be elaborated.

cs.DL↗

arXiv2010

The Decline of University Patenting and the End of the Bayh-Dole Effect

University patenting has been heralded as a symbol of changing relations between universities and their social environments. The Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 in the USA was eagerly promoted by the OECD as a recipe for the commercialization of university research, and the law was imitated by a number of national governments. However, since the 2000s university patenting in the most advanced economies has been on the decline both as a percentage and in absolute terms. We suggest that the institutional incentives for university patenting have disappeared with the new regime of university ranking. Patents and spin-offs are not counted in university rankings. In the new arrangements of university-industry-government relations, universities have become very responsive to changes in their relevant environments.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Is Inequality Among Universities Increasing? Gini Coefficients and the Elusive Rise of Elite Universities

One of the unintended consequences of the New Public Management (NPM) in universities is often feared to be a division between elite institutions focused on research and large institutions with teaching missions. However, institutional isomorphisms provide counter-incentives. For example, university rankings focus on certain output parameters such as publications, but not on others (e.g., patents). In this study, we apply Gini coefficients to university rankings in order to assess whether universities are becoming more unequal, at the level of both the world and individual nations. Our results do not support the thesis that universities are becoming more unequal. If anything, we predominantly find homogenization, both at the level of the global comparisons and nationally. In a more restricted dataset (using only publications in the natural and life sciences), we find increasing inequality for those countries, which used NPM during the 1990s, but not during the 2000s. Our findings suggest that increased output steering from the policy side leads to a global conformation to performance standards.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Knowledge-Based Innovation Systems and the Model of a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations

The (neo-)evolutionary model of a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government Relations focuses on the overlay of expectations, communications, and interactions that potentially feed back on the institutional arrangements among the carrying agencies. From this perspective, the evolutionary perspective in economics can be complemented with the reflexive turn from sociology. The combination provides a richer understanding of how knowledge-based systems of innovation are shaped and reconstructed. The communicative capacities of the carrying agents become crucial to the system's further development, whereas the institutional arrangements (e.g., national systems) can be expected to remain under reconstruction. The tension of the differentiation no longer needs to be resolved, since the network configurations are reproduced by means of translations among historically changing codes. Some methodological and epistemological implications for studying innovation systems are explicated.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2010

Scaling Trajectories in Civil Aircraft (1913-1997)

Using entropy statistics we analyse scaling patterns in terms of changes in the ratios among product characteristics of 143 designs in civil aircraft. Two allegedly dominant designs, the piston propeller DC3 and the turbofan Boeing 707, are shown to have triggered a scaling trajectory at the level of the respective firms. Along these trajectories different variables have been scaled at different moments in time: this points to the versatility of a dominant design which allows a firm to react to a variety of user needs. Scaling at the level of the industry took off only after subsequently reengineered models were introduced, like the piston propeller Douglas DC4 and the turbofan Boeing 767. The two scaling trajectories in civil aircraft corresponding to the piston propeller and the turbofan paradigm can be compared with a single, less pronounced scaling trajectory in helicopter technology for which we have data during the period 1940-1996. Management and policy implications can be specified in terms of the phases of codification at the firm and the industry level.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2010

Quality Control and Validation Boundaries in a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government: 'Mode 2' and the Future of University Research

How is quality control organized in the new "Mode 2" of the production of scientific knowledge? When institutional boundaries are increasingly blurred in a Triple Helix of University-Industry-Government relations, criteria for quality control in the production of scientific knowledge can be expected to change at the interfaces. The categorization in terms of two modes of knowledge production was introduced by Gibbons et al. (1994) in order to describe changes in the networks of scientific communications (funding patterns, research configurations, styles of knowledge management, etc.). These changes were mainly specified as institutional parameters in order to deal with the subjects of R&D management and S&T policies, that is, ex ante (Spiegel-Ring 1973 Van den Daele et al. 1979). We focus on the 'validation boundaries' emerging from the differences between Mode 1 and Mode 2 that is, on the criteria for quality control that can analytically and reflexively be brought to the fore ex post. The shift from an institutional frame of reference to a focus on the dynamics of communications enables us to clarify several problems in the discussion of the future of university research.

cs.CY↗