A bird's-eye view of scientific trading: Dependency relations among fields of science
We use a trading metaphor to study knowledge transfer in the sciences as well as the social sciences. The metaphor comprises four dimensions: (a) Discipline Self-dependence, (b) Knowledge Exports/Imports, (c) Scientific Trading Dynamics, and (d) Scientific Trading Impact. This framework is applied to a dataset of 221 Web of Science subject categories. We find that: (i) the Scientific Trading Impact and Dynamics of materials science and transportation science have increased; (ii) biomedical disciplines, physics, and mathematics are significant knowledge exporters, as is statistics and probability; (iii) in the social sciences, economics, business, psychology, management, and sociology are important knowledge exporters; and (iv) Discipline Self-dependence is associated with specialized domains which have ties to professional practice (e.g., law, ophthalmology, dentistry, oral surgery and medicine, psychology, psychoanalysis, veterinary sciences, and nursing).
scientific trading knowledge export knowledge import disciplinary