Theories and methods for mapping scientific frontiers have existed for decades-especially within quantitative studies of science. This book investigates mapping scientific frontiers from the perspective of visual thinking and visual exploration (visual communication). The central theme is construction of visual-spatial representations that may convey insights into the dynamic structure of scientific frontiers. The author's previous book, Information Visualisation and Virtual Environments (1999), also concerns some of the ideas behind and possible benefits of visual communication. This new book takes a special focus on knowledge visualization, particularly in relation to science literature. The book is not a technical tutorial as the focus is on principles of visual communication and ways that may reveal the dynamics of scientific frontiers.
The new approach to science mapping presented is the culmination of different approaches from several disciplines, such as philosophy of science, information retrieval, scientometrics, domain analysis, and information visualization. The book therefore addresses an audience with different disciplinary backgrounds and tries to stimulate interdisciplinary research.
Chapter 1, The Growth of Scientific Knowledge, introduces a range of examples that illustrate fundamental issues concerning visual communication in general and science mapping in particular. The author shows the profound connections between perception and cognition, identifying key requirements for unambiguous and effective communication based on perceptual abilities, and asking the question, "What prior knowledge is required for understanding visualizations?" The main questions addressed in the book concern the dynamics of scientific frontiers and ways that may enable us to better understand the making of science. Special attention is therefore given in the introduction to the concepts of scientific frontiers, paradigms, invisible colleges, conceptual revolutions, and the different models of scientific growth these concepts imply. According to the author, visualization can help project changes and structure in scientific literature, raise explorative questions, and perhaps give answers to questions like, "What are the central issues in a prolonged scientific debate?" "What constitutes a context in which a prevailing theory evolves?" "How can we visualize the process of a paradigm shift (if such indeed exists)?" "Where are the rises and falls of competing paradigms in the context of scientific frontiers?" The author investigates these questions through the selected case studies in Chapters 6 and 7.
Chapter 2, Mapping the Universe, focuses on the basic principles of cartography for visual communication. Cartography is a process of abstraction through selection and symbolization. Not surprisingly, simplicity and clarity are identified as key principles, but the role of organizing models-known as metaphors-behind a variety of maps is also elaborated, in particular their role in