The Science of Science

Description

This is the first comprehensive overview of the 'science of science,' an emerging interdisciplinary field that relies on big data to unveil the reproducible patterns that govern individual scientific careers and the workings of science. It explores the roots of scientific impact, the role of productivity and creativity, when and what kind of collaborations are effective, the impact of failure and success in a scientific career, and what metrics can tell us about the fundamental workings of science. The book relies on data to draw actionable insights, which can be applied by individuals to further their career or decision makers to enhance the role of science in society. With anecdotes and detailed, easy-to-follow explanations of the research, this book is accessible to all scientists and graduate students, policymakers, and administrators with an interest in the wider scientific enterprise. Review: Easy to read, and endlessly stimulating - I found the book in a library in Tokyo, and I rarely write reviews, but this one is so great that I just had to come over and give thanks to the authors. If you are a scientist of any level (even an amateur), or you're at all interested in or concerned about the present state or the future of scientific research, then you CANNOT miss this book. You would be doing a disservice to yourself. As I said in the headline, it's written in a fun, approachable style (they explain every term you may not be aware of, eg: h-index), and is chock full of interesting insights — I took many notes. The best thing about this book is that all the insights, truly fascinating as they are, come from real data, not the authors' imagination. If you dislike books written by armchair philosophers and pseudo-historians who try to find data to fit their narrative and not the opposite, you will especially love this book. Review: Scientific Universes - This book contains voluminous insights, observations, and research data about science: its institutionalization, practitioners, protocols, citations, funding, norms, rewards, challenges, and limitations. The authors have analyzed a plethora of research studies, journal articles, experiments, histories, books, articles, and interviews in assembling its many findings about science. The gaps and inadequacies of science are aptly discussed with vivid illustrations. Issues related to scientific productivity, collaboration, networks, academic disciplines, longevity, salience (fitness), co-authorship, and relevant statistical measures are dissected. Factors that affect career trajectories are scrutinized: status, centrality, reputation, merit, preferential attachment, the Matthew Effect, aging/longevity, etc. Most helpful for me was the authors’ distinction between experimental innovators and conceptual innovators [pp. 46-47]. Other interests include matters related to establishing teams, the impact of ‘star’ scientists, invisible colleges, diversity, the salience of ‘novelty,’ publicity, and artificial intelligence. Bias, causality, plus the future of science are likewise engaged. This is a stellar contribution to our global knowledge about science, a pivotal benchmark for this generation. [Kindle edition] The next frontier is to more adequately explore, analyze, and explain [via contextual analyses or quantum computing] the multiple, multidimensional, and multilevel social and cultural contexts out of which these individualistic studies emerge.