Tracing Competing Paradigms - Mapping Scientific Frontiers: The Quest for Knowledge Visualization - page 198

Chapter 6
Tracing Competing Paradigms

Paradigms are exemplary scientific achievements
Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996)

Bibliometrics can show sociological tendencies in knowledge development, but
the interpretation of these tendencies must be based on broader knowledge in
the sociology and philosophy of science. From the point of view of domain
analysis, bibliometrics is only a means to an end and it must be based on a more
comprehensive methodology that addresses the contextual issues at the level of an
entire domain (Hjorland and Albrechtsen 1995 ).
In this chapter we explain how information visualization can draw upon the
philosophical framework of paradigm shifts and enable scientists to track the devel-
opment of competing paradigms. We include two case studies to illustrate the use of
co-citation analysis and domain visualization techniques: one is on the topic of mass
extinctions in geology and the other is on the search for supermassive black holes
in cosmology. We focus on the identification and the development of a scientific
paradigm, or a sustained cluster of documents or a group of scientists concerning a
specific subject. Furthermore, we intend to provide a historical account for the key
issues under debates, so that the reader can appreciate the value of visualizations in
more detail.

6.1 Domain Analysis in Information Science

Hjorland has been a key figure in promoting domain analysis in information science
(Hjorland 1997 ; Hjorland and Albrechtsen 1995 ). The unit of domain analysis is
a specialty, a discipline, or a subject matter. In contrast to existing approaches to
domain analysis, Hjorland emphasized the essential role of a social perspective
instead of the more conventional psychological perspective.