Scientometrics
Volume/Issue:
Volume 48: Issue 3
Threaded Email Messages in Self-Organization and Science & Technology Studies Oriented Mailing Lists
Authors:
Andrés Zelman Science & Technology Dynamics, The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Loet Leydesdorff Science & Technology Dynamics, The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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Pages:
361–380
Online Publication Date:
01 Jul 2000
Publication Date:
01 Jul 2000
Article Category:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1005640521616
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The paper addresses the potential of Internet mailing lists to enhance academic research with respect to Gibbons' distinction between Mode I and Mode II knowledge production (Gibbons et al., 1994). We examine threaded email messages in a selection of Self-Organization and Science & Technology Studies oriented Internet mailing lists to illustrate the internal dynamics involved in the electronic production of knowledge. Of particular interest is the EuroCon-Knowflow mailing list which houses the electronic communication of the Self-Organization of the European Information Society (SOEIS) research group.

The research focuses upon the discussion threads of mailing lists. The use of threaded messages as our hermeneutic units of analysis provides the basis for a reflection upon three key theoretical positions: Medium Theory, Actor-Network Theory, and Self-Organization Theory. With respect to the latter, we measure for self-organized criticality by comparing the frequency and size of threaded messages. Using this and other methods as operationalized modes of theorizing we reveal network dynamics particular to the Internet mailing list.

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Cover Scientometrics
Scientometrics
Print ISSN:
0138-9130
Online ISSN:
1588-2861

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Scientometrics
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation		 1978
Volumes
per Year		 1
Issues
per Year		 12
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Publisher's
Address		 H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
CH-6330 Cham, Switzerland Gewerbestrasse 11.
Responsible
Publisher		 Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 0138-9130 (Print)
ISSN 1588-2861 (Online)

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