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Is chemistry 'The Central Science'? How are different sciences related? Co-citations, reductionism, emergence, and posets

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  • Alexandru T. Balaban

    (Texas A&M University at Galveston)

  • Douglas J. Klein

    (Texas A&M University at Galveston)

Abstract

Summary According to a widely used introductory chemistry text by T. E. Brown et al.,1 chemistry is 'The Central Science'. But scientometric co-citation analyses indicate that biochemistry seems presently to be more interconnected to other sciences. On the other hand, mathematics is considered by many to permeate all sciences and hence might compete as the choice for centrality. A critical commentary and argument leads to a proposal for an alternative partially ordered hierarchical “framework” map of sciences. This argument is supplemented by a scientometric approach based on university course requirements for different curricula, so as to support our partially ordered map. This alternative “framework” mapping then is seen to indicate a special position for chemistry, as where significant branching begins.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexandru T. Balaban & Douglas J. Klein, 2006. "Is chemistry 'The Central Science'? How are different sciences related? Co-citations, reductionism, emergence, and posets," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 69(3), pages 615-637, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:69:y:2006:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-006-0173-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-006-0173-2
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jane M. Russell & Yoscelina Hernández-García & Mina Kleiche-Dray, 2016. "Collaboration dynamics of Mexican research in Chemistry and its relationship with communication patterns," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 109(1), pages 283-316, October.
    2. Andreas Bjurström & Merritt Polk, 2011. "Climate change and interdisciplinarity: a co-citation analysis of IPCC Third Assessment Report," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 87(3), pages 525-550, June.
    3. Lyu, Haihua & Bu, Yi & Zhao, Zhenyue & Zhang, Jiarong & Li, Jiang, 2022. "Citation bias in measuring knowledge flow: Evidence from the web of science at the discipline level," Journal of Informetrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(4).
    4. Hajime Eto, 2008. "Scientometric definition of science: In what respect is the humanities more scientific than mathematical and social sciences?," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 76(1), pages 23-42, July.
    5. Robert Tomaszewski, 2017. "Citations to chemical resources in scholarly articles: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics and The Merck Index," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 112(3), pages 1865-1879, September.
    6. Ismael Rafols & Alan Porter & Loet Leydesdorff, 2009. "Overlay Maps of Science: a New Tool for Research Policy," SPRU Working Paper Series 179, SPRU - Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex Business School.

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