Simulating the Social Processes of Science
By: Bruce Edmonds, Nigel Gilbert, Petra Ahrweiler, Andrea Scharnhorst, Volume 14 (4)
Abstract: Science is the result of a substantially social process. That is, science relies on many inter-personal processes, including: selection and communication of research findings, discussion of method, checking and judgement of others' research, development of norms of scientific behaviour, organisation of the application of specialist skills/tools, and the organisation of each field (e.g. allocation of funding). An isolated individual, however clever and well resourced, would not produce science as we know it today. Furthermore, science is full of the social phenomena that are observed elsewhe ...