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Diversity and interdisciplinarity: how can one distinguish and recombine disparity, variety, and balance?

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  • Loet Leydesdorff

    (University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

The dilemma which remained unsolved using Rao-Stirling diversity, namely of how variety and balance can be combined into “dual concept diversity” (Stirling in SPRU electronic working paper series no. 28. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/Units/spru/publications/imprint/sewps/sewp28/sewp28.pdf , 1998, p. 48f.) can be clarified by using Nijssen et al.’s (Coenoses 13(1):33–38 1998) argument that the Gini coefficient is a perfect indicator of balance. However, the Gini coefficient is not an indicator of variety; this latter term can be operationalized independently as relative variety. The three components of diversity—variety, balance, and disparity—can thus be clearly distinguished and independently operationalized as measures varying between zero and one. The new diversity indicator ranges with more resolving power in the empirical case.

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  • Loet Leydesdorff, 2018. "Diversity and interdisciplinarity: how can one distinguish and recombine disparity, variety, and balance?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 116(3), pages 2113-2121, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:116:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-018-2810-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-018-2810-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Loet Leydesdorff & Caroline S. Wagner & Lutz Bornmann, 2018. "Betweenness and diversity in journal citation networks as measures of interdisciplinarity—A tribute to Eugene Garfield," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 114(2), pages 567-592, February.
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    8. Loet Leydesdorff & Dieter Franz Kogler & Bowen Yan, 2017. "Mapping patent classifications: portfolio and statistical analysis, and the comparison of strengths and weaknesses," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1573-1591, September.
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