Big Science and Research Infrastructures in Europe: History and current trends

Abstract

Big Science and Research Infrastructures play an important role in European science and science policymaking, but are understudied from many points of view. This chapter, which introduces the book and establishes the basic framework for the analyses of its various chapters, contains a review of the scholarly study of Big Science and Research Infrastructures, including a historical orientation, policy contextualization, and a comprehensive discussion and problematization of the concepts involved. The chapter also introduces the structure of the book and the chapters that follow.