Bibliometric delineation of scientific fields

Abstract

Delineation of scientific domains (fields, areas of science) is a preliminary task in bibliometric studies at the mesolevel, far from straightforward in domains with high multidisciplinarity, variety, and instability. The Sect. 2.2 shows the connection of the delineation problem to the question of disciplines versus invisible colleges, through three combinable models: ready-made classifications of science, classical information-retrieval searches, mapping and clustering. They differ in the role and modalities of supervision. The Sect. 2.3 sketches various bibliometric techniques against the background of information retrieval (information retrieval (IR)), data analysis, and network theory, showing both their power and their limitations in delineation processes. The role and modalities of supervision are emphasized. The Sect. 2.4 addresses the comparison and combination of bibliometric networks (actors, texts, citations) and the various ways to hybridize. In the Sect. 2.5, typical protocols and further questions are proposed.