Detection of paradigm shifts and emerging fields using scientific network: A case study of Information Technology for Engineering

Thara Prabhakaran, Hiran H. Lathabai and Manoj Changat

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2015, vol. 91, issue C, 124-145

Abstract: Detection of emerging fields in any industry is of great importance to the industrialists, engineers and policy makers of business as well as state administration. Exact awareness of the paradigm which governs current research activities and chances of likely paradigm shifts which could redefine the research approaches, is very crucial for the actors of scientific community and policy makers. Excellent technologies in IT, even accelerated the scientific and applied ontological pursuit in both academia as well as industry. In this work, network approach is advocated for the identification of innovations, new paradigms and emerging fields in the IT industry in the research area ‘engineering’. The network is a scientific network of research publications which reflects the volume and flow of scientific activities. Centrality analysis, path analysis, cluster analysis, etc. are used to identify the key papers of paradigm shifts, emerging fields, relatively important clusters and works respectively. A new metric, flow vergence index is devised for cluster analysis. The paradigm shift identified from this network is RFID technology, related with the supply chain management. With proper economic and policy supports, there are some good reasons to look forward for more wonders from the industry.

Keywords: Paradigms; Innovations; Information technology; Citation networks; Engineering industry; Clustering; Centrality measures; Path analysis; Flow vergence model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162514000511
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:91:y:2015:i:c:p:124-145

DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2014.02.003

Access Statistics for this article

Technological Forecasting and Social Change is currently edited by Fred Phillips

More articles in Technological Forecasting and Social Change from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().