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Institutionalisation of Scientific Information: a scientometric model (ISI-S model)

Introduction

According to Merton (1973) the institutional goal of science is the extension of certified knowledge. The definition of knowledge is given as ‘empirically confirmed and logically consistent statements of regularities’, which are in effect predictions. My definition would be that ‘consistent statements of regularities’ are scientific laws and relationships which can be regarded as pieces of knowledge in concentrated form. Scientific laws may be considered as regular manifestations of inherent characteristics of phenomena or things.

Mullins (1973) suggested a model consisting of four stages to describe the development of scientific fields. The ...

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