Scientific Influence: An Analysis of Main Path Structure in the Journal of Conflict

ResolutionKathleen M. Carley 1, Norman P. Hummon 2, Martha Harty 1

Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization Vol 14 No 4, June 1993 417-447

1 Carnegie Mellon University2 University of Pittsburgh

Kathleen Padova, November 4, 2014

Impact

• 14 1st level citations in WoS Core Collection– 135 2nd level citations

• 30 1st level citations in Google Scholar– 880 2nd level citations

Impact

Main Path Analysis

• “a single main path contains the key intellectual developments in the field and work by the acclaimed founders appears on the main path”

• Prior main path work by authors – DNA theory (Hummon and Doreian 1990)– Measures of centrality in social network research

(Hummon, Doreian, and Freeman 1990)

Main Path Analysis

Fig 4. DNA Main Stream- Hummon, N. P., and P. Doreian. 1989. Connectivity in a citation network: The development ofDNA theory. Social Networks 11:39-63.

Watson & Crick, Constructed model of spatial molecular configuration of DNA, Nature, 1953

Case Study: Conflict Resolution

• Perform Main Path Analysis on emergence and eventual dissolution of discipline of Conflict Resolution

• Studied authorship and citations of the flagship publication – Journal of Conflict Resolution

• Analyzed in context of previous historical analysis of same subject (Harty and Modell 1991)

Case Study: Conflict Resolution

• Emerged in late 50s• Intended to be interdisciplinary effort• Formal publication only lasted 15 years (1957 –

1971)• Research efforts split back into separate disciplines

or splintered off• Historical analysis provided context to dissolution • Authors wanted to examine the literary structure of

this development of conflict resolution in JCR• Hypothesized the main path technique would fail to

find a main path of conflict resolution development

Case Study: Journal of Conflict Resolution

• Examine the authors and citations of the 15 volumes of the Journal of Conflict Resolution

• Identify authors who had both authored and had been cited

• Map the connections to follow how ideas emerged and further developed

• Review the historical analysis to provide additional context to findings

Initial discoveries

530 citing articles written by 401 authors

Initial discoveriesDistribution of author citations

Initial discoveries

Initial Map

Further analysis

Development Periods

Dissolution Years – 1967 - 1971

Golden Years – 1961 - 1975

Pioneer Years – 1957 - 1960

Discipline map

Discipline map

Interpretation

• The Conflict Resolution movement remained multi-disciplinary, true interdisciplinary work was not occurring

• Authors tended to write one-off contributions and return to their main discipline

• Authors tended to stay clustered with other authors in the same domain with very little cross-discipline citations or co-authorship

Conclusion

• Main path diagrams map the intellectual influences and cross-fertilizations important to cumulative scientific progress

• Main path analysis combined with historical analysis, provides a richer, more detailed understanding of a historical period

• Historical analysis provides context of strong institutional influence

• Main path analysis can control for institutional influence and demonstrate the contributions of individuals

Discussion

• Given what we’ve seen thus far on the importance of cross-disciplinary integration, can it really be that hard? What actions do you think would make interdisciplinary research more likely to occur?