United we fall

Book review: Divided We Stand: Redefining Politics, Technology and Social Choice / Michiel Schwarz and Michael Thompson. - Hemel Hempstead, Herts. & New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990. - ISBN 0745004164, 0745017872*pb

Potholes and obstacles on the learning path. An experimental analysis of a GI-curriculum using GI-activities as teaching subjects

In 2007, a small survey was held among teaching staff of the Master of Geo-information curriculum at Wageningen University. The objective was to find out if an overview of entry and exit mastery levels per teaching subject would provide a basis for judging the quality of the curriculum. Findings were, that this approach gave insight into some quality aspects. A conclusion was that specifically the connectivity between curriculum components can be strongly influenced by subjective concepts held by members of staff about on the contents of components. This may result in cliffs, gaps and overlaps with regard to knowledge and contents between consecutive curriculum components. Where that happens, the chain of components that constitute a Learning Path can be improved

The Republic of Science in the 1990s

Research councils began as channels for state patronage of science (a widespread phenomenon after World War II) and were captured by the scientists: peer review of proposals, panels, board membership. In this way, they became an important organ of the lsquoRepublic of Sciencersquo (Michael Polanyi's concept). Being awarded a grant is now as important for the reputation or status of a scientist as the money value per se: research councils have become part of the reward system of science. Credibility-cycle analysis (Latour and Woolgar) is used to show this; and then applied to the research council itself, between the State and the national scientific community. Current concerns about proposal success rates and conservatism are analysed in terms of dynamics of this research world. This sociological approach to research councils allows analysis of changes in the reward system of science (where lsquorelevancersquo is becoming an accepted criterion world-wide) and of the complex environment of research councils, where many actors now compete for the intermediary role. Research councils must also become entrepreneurial-or become obsolete

Should Social Amplification of Risk Be Counteracted?

The importance of the conceptual statement, by Roger Kasperson et al., on social amplification of risk lies, firstly, in the identification of a phenome-non as one worth studying, instead of being irritated and frustrated ibout it and concerned only to get it out of the way. Accusations of “public hysteria ” and “ irresponsible media ” are commonplace, without any real attempt at understanding causes and mecha-nisms, let alone a closer look at the normative qualifications of “ hysteria ” and “irre~ponsibility”.~ Kasperson et al. provide a forceful summing up of the limitations of traditional, technical risk analysis, and propose to overcome the limitations by adding the phenomenon of public reactions to risk and further repercussions (“secondary impacts”). One may wonder whether this is sufficient; but it clearly is necessary. Secondly, the attempt at systematic description usefully articulates a number of dimensions and aspects of the problem. The added benefit is that, in doing so, some of the ambiguities become apparent-of the proposed analysis, but also of the way we tend to treat the phenomena of social amplification of risk. For example, although the phenomenon is defined in a neutral way, in the introduction and later when communications theory is invoked (“amplification denotes the process of intensifying or attenuating signals during the transmission of infor

Qualitative conditions of scientometrics: the new challenges'

While scientometrics is now an established field, there are challenges. A closer look at how scientometricians aggregate building blocks into artfully made products, and point-represent these (e.g. as the map of field X) allows one to overcome the dependence on judgements of scientists for validation, and replace or complement these with intrinsic validation, based on quality checks of the several steps. Such quality checks require qualitative analysis of the domains being studied. Qualitative analysis is also necessary when noninstitutionalized domains and/or domains which do not emphasize texts are to be studied. A further challenge is to reflect on the effects of scientometrics on the development of science; indicators could lead to `induced¿ aggregation. The availability of scientometric tools and insights might allow scientists and science to become more reflexive

A cognitive approach to science policy

Recent work in the social studies of science has emphasized the importance of studying both the social and cognitive aspects of the evolution of scientific specialties and disciplines. This has implications for science policies that aim at the direction of scientific fields toward external goals: the cognitive state and dynamics of the field have to be taken into acount. Such a cognitive approach to science policy has been elaborated by a number of German science scholars. The three-phase model of scientific developments and the finalization thesis of the Starnberg group is discussed, and the policy implications are critically reviewed. A group based in the University of Bielefeld has published case studies designed to trace the role of cognitive factors in explaining the impact of science policy programmes on scientific fields. It turns out that mutual adaptation processes occur in the course of formulating the programmes which reduce conflict and resistance. In conclusion, some perspectives for further work are noted

GI-education: the impact of EduMapping

The creation of a European Higher Education Area during the last 20 years has resulted in a considerable degree of harmonization when it comes to the structure of higher education in the European countries. With regard to geoinformation (GI) education, less progress has been made. Formats for course and curriculum descriptions vary per organization and languages vary per country. For the described content a central reference on domain level seems absent. The reference documents published in the United States (2006: the Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge, 2010: Geospatial Technology Competency Model) have not yet been widely accepted in Europe, but seem useful. The EduMapping method aims at concisely characterizing GI course or curriculum content in a label, to be added to existing descriptions. This paper points at a role for EduMapping as a connection between the European multinational and multilingual situation and the American reference potential. Application of EduMapping might help Europe to achieve the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy

Scientists' coping strategies in an evolving research system: the case of life scientists in the UK

Scientists in academia have struggled to adjust to a policy climate of uncertain funding and loss of freedom from direction and control. How UK life scientists have negotiated this challenge, and with what consequences for their research and the research system, is the empirical entrance point of this paper. We find that policy impacts can be modulated and buffered by strategies and compromises devised and deployed at research performer level. This shifts conceptualisation from terms of responses to one of more or less proactive strategies of scientists and science organisations which add up, intentionally or unintentionally, to shifts in the overall system

The role of trade literature in the communication system

Bibliometric methods in general undervalue technological research. This study examines the relation in literature between technological/industrial journals and scientific journals in the case of the plastics industry and polymer science. Trade-journals cannot be used in a straightforward bibliometric manner, but can be an aid in mapping the different groups and reveal the lsquohiddenrsquo communication between technological and scientific communities