Franc Mali

Collaboration structures in Slovenian scientific communities

We combine two seemingly distinct perspectives regarding the modeling of network dynamics. One perspective is found in the work of physicists and mathematicians who formally introduced the small world model and the mechanism of preferential attachment. The other perspective is sociological and focuses on the process of cumulative advantage and considers the agency of individual actors in a network. We test hypotheses, based on work drawn from these perspectives, regarding the structure and dynamics of scientific collaboration networks. The data we use are for four scientific disciplines in the Slovene system of science. The results deal with the overall topology of these networks and specific processes that generate them. The two perspectives can be joined to mutual benefit. Within this combined approach, the presence of small-world structures was confirmed. However preferential attachment is far more complex than advocates of a single autonomous mechanism claim.

Dynamic Scientific Co-Authorship Networks

Scientific collaboration networks have been studied systematically since 1960 by scholars belonging to various disciplinary backgrounds. As a result, the complex phenomenon of scientific collaboration networks has been investigated within different approaches. Although the term “scientific collaboration network” has different connotations in the literature, we use the term more narrowly to focus on scientific collaboration resulting in co-authored public documents. We broaden this beyond journal articles to include many types of scientific productions in addition to journal articles and books. We insist that these productions are public items available in each field. In this chapter, we focus on the main quantitative approaches dealing with the structure and dynamics of scientific collaboration networks through co-authorized publications. We provide a brief history of social network analysis that serves as a foundation. We further review earlier conceptual classifications of co-authorship networks and distinguish cross-disciplinarily, cross-sectoral and cross-national levels. We couple the newer ideas of “small world” models and “preferential attachment” to older sociological conceptions of scientific collaboration. This is followed by descriptions of deterministic and stochastic models that have been used to study dynamic scientific collaboration networks. We stress the importance of delineating the topology of collaboration networks, understanding micro-level processes and then coupling them. We conclude by outlining the strengths and limitations of various modeling strategies.

Scientific collaboration dynamics in a national scientific system

This paper examines the collaboration structures and dynamics of the co-authorship network of all Slovenian researchers. Its goal is to identify the key factors driving collaboration and the main differences in collaboration behavior across scientific fields and disciplines. Two approaches to modelling network dynamics are combined in this paper: the small-world model and the mechanism of preferential attachment, also known as the process of cumulative advantage. Stochastic-actor-based modelling of co-authorship network dynamics uses data for the complete longitudinal co-authorship networks for the entire Slovenian scientific community from 1996 to 2010. We confirmed the presence of clustering in all fields and disciplines. Preferential attachment is far more complex than a single global mechanism. There were two clear distinctions regarding collaboration within scientific fields and disciplines. One was that some fields had an internal national saturation inhibiting further collaboration. The second concerned the differential impact of collaboration with scientists from abroad on domestic collaboration. In the natural, technical, medical, and biotechnical sciences, this promotes collaboration within the Slovenian scientific community while in the social sciences and humanities this inhibits internal collaboration.

Daily Newspapers’ Views on Nanotechnology in Slovenia

This article investigates how nanotechnology is presented and framed in Slovenian national newspapers. The focus is on the mass media’s influence on citizens’ perceptions of the social implications of nanotechnological progress. An empirical analysis of newspaper coverage of nanotechnology in Slovenia between 2004 and 2009 suggests that Slovenian newspapers are in an early stage of covering nanotechnology issues since they emphasize the positive aspects and scientific interpretations. Additional in-depth interviews with nanotechnologists reveal considerable dissatisfaction with the level and quality of the media’s reporting of the issue of nanotechnology in Slovenia.

Classifying scientific disciplines in Slovenia: A study of the evolution of collaboration structures

We explore classifying scientific disciplines including their temporal features by focusing on their collaboration structures over time. Bibliometric data for Slovenian researchers registered at the Slovenian Research Agency were used. These data were obtained from the Slovenian National Current Research Information System. We applied a recently developed hierarchical clustering procedure for symbolic data to the coauthorship structure of scientific disciplines. To track temporal changes, we divided data for the period 1986–2010 into five 5‐year time periods. The clusters of disciplines for the Slovene science system revealed 5 clusters of scientific disciplines that, in large measure, correspond with the official national classification of sciences. However, there were also some significant differences pointing to the need for a dynamic classification system of sciences to better characterize them. Implications stemming from these results, especially with regard to classifying scientific disciplines, understanding the collaborative structure of science, and research and development policies, are discussed.

Bringing converging technologies closer to civil society: the role of the precautionary principle

Advances in converging technologies (CTs) will certainly bring many economic and social benefits. Nevertheless, the uncontrolled development of CTs could also produce many types of risks. Even though all of the threats arising from the uncontrolled development of CTs for society may not yet be apparent today, we are already at the point where we must design suitable policy approaches in order to avoid possible risks. In this article it is argued that the precautionary principle is becoming an increasingly important forum for the inclusion of the lay public in R&D policy decision-making processes. A more active role of citizens in risk assessment and risk governance of CTs is also important due to the many ethical and social dilemmas arising from the new emerging technologies. In this article special attention is paid to the increasing processes of the commodification and commercialization of CTs. Disputes over intellectual property rights, perhaps more than any other CT-connected topic, have recently been touching on basic ethical dilemmas.

Electronic waste—a modern form of risk? On the consequences of the delay between the increasing generation of electronic waste and regulations to manage this increase

ABSTRACT This article addresses the relation between the current proliferation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) goods and services and the development of different kinds of risk assessments and policy documents. The ambition is to shed light on a, hithertho, less-discussed aspect of the development of risk assessments and policy documents, namely the time span between the development of new technologies and the development of regulatory frameworks. The concept of risk and danger can be seen as a potential means through which we can start to think about the consequences of the delay between the increased generation of electronic waste (e-waste) and the regulations to manage this increase. By using e-waste as a case study, this article provides the basis for a more general understanding of the relation between the development of new technologies and the development of regulatory frameworks. While it might be difficult to pin down the effects that this delay had/has for the subsequent development of ICTs, this article highlights the importance of taking into account not only how and by whom risk assessments and policy documents are developed, but also when they are developed in relation to the technologies that they serve to regulate.