A retrospective socio-semantic analysis of the PRO-VE conferences

Abstract

The IFIP WG 5.5 Working Conferences on Virtual Enterprises (PRO-VE) has created, in 14 editions, a remarkable scientific and professional community intersecting several disciplines and resulting in a new one: collaborative networks. In this paper we present the results of a retrospective study of the conceptual system evolution of PRO-VE providing an instrument to reflect about the field’s past and future. Our approach was socio-semantic trying to devise the influence between the researchers social network and the evolution of the conceptual system. Firstly, we made a terminological analysis of every PRO-VE proceeding resulting in a picture of the main concepts used in each edition and their relative importance. Then, we used social network analysis techniques to conclude about the influence of the researchers on the conceptual system evolution. The results suggest a relatively stable set of concepts influenced by a network of core researchers. However, some marked evolution in the relative importance of the concepts can be identified.