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arXiv · 0905.3585

Can epidemic models describe the diffusion of topics across disciplines?

Istvan Z. Kiss·Mark Broom·Paul Craze·Ismael Rafols
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Abstract

This paper introduces a new approach to describe the spread of research topics across disciplines using epidemic models. The approach is based on applying individual-based models from mathematical epidemiology to the diffusion of a research topic over a contact network that represents knowledge flows over the map of science -as obtained from citations between ISI Subject Categories. Using research publications on the protein class kinesin as a case study, we report a better fit between model and empirical data when using the citation-based contact network. Incubation periods on the order of 4 to 15.5 years support the view that, whilst research topics may grow very quickly, they face difficulties to overcome disciplinary boundaries.

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Istvan Z. Kiss, Mark Broom, Paul Craze, Ismael Rafols. 2009-05-22. Can epidemic models describe the diffusion of topics across disciplines?. https://arxiv.org/abs/0905.3585

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