The Scientific Article: A Critical Interpretation of Twenty-First Century Scientific Communication
(2023) SOCM04 20231Department of Sociology
Sociology
- Abstract
- This study investigates the doing of research from the standpoint of communication. The ambition is to offer a historically specific critical interpretation of how to conceptualize the scientific article and its relation to contemporary sociological research. The interpretation is made in light of a synthesized theoretical framework, consisting of insights from Kuhn, Adorno, and Postone. To enable this critical interpretation, qualitative methods were deployed. Interviews were made with scholars active in a Swedish sociological context, and guidelines provided by two international journals were studied. The interpretation suggest that it is possible to conceptualize the scientific article in terms of: (i) a scientific paradigm; (ii) an... (More)
- This study investigates the doing of research from the standpoint of communication. The ambition is to offer a historically specific critical interpretation of how to conceptualize the scientific article and its relation to contemporary sociological research. The interpretation is made in light of a synthesized theoretical framework, consisting of insights from Kuhn, Adorno, and Postone. To enable this critical interpretation, qualitative methods were deployed. Interviews were made with scholars active in a Swedish sociological context, and guidelines provided by two international journals were studied. The interpretation suggest that it is possible to conceptualize the scientific article in terms of: (i) a scientific paradigm; (ii) an expression of identity-reason; and (iii) a capitalistic category, namely as a commodity. Together, these notionsimplies that the contemporary academic climate – and its preoccupation with the scientific article – could be interpreted in terms of a paradigmatic tendency of abstraction in the practice of research. The thesis concludes that contemporary sociological research is affected by its currently dominating form of communication. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- The ambition of this study is to offer a critical interpretation of the relationship between contemporary sociological research and its dominant form of communication, the scientific article. The starting point of the scientific article is found somewhere around the 17th century, a period of intellectual and societal revolutions, marking the beginning of modern society. The scientific article has, since then, continued to develop. Its historical trajectory revels how the character, content, organizational infrastructure, and purpose – just as the science it deals with – has undergone radical change. However, it was not until late 20th century that the scientific article became widespread and its position dominant. Today, an incalculable... (More)
- The ambition of this study is to offer a critical interpretation of the relationship between contemporary sociological research and its dominant form of communication, the scientific article. The starting point of the scientific article is found somewhere around the 17th century, a period of intellectual and societal revolutions, marking the beginning of modern society. The scientific article has, since then, continued to develop. Its historical trajectory revels how the character, content, organizational infrastructure, and purpose – just as the science it deals with – has undergone radical change. However, it was not until late 20th century that the scientific article became widespread and its position dominant. Today, an incalculable number of scientific articles are published each year on a global market by an almost incomprehensive number of scholars, making academic publication an immense industry. It seems as if the communication of science has undergone a revolution, leaving it almost unrecognizable compared to a situation only a few decades ago.
To understand this academic climate, this study uses of a theoretical framework
consisting of insights from Kuhn, Adorno, and Postone. In light of these insights, it is argued that the scientific article is dominant and implies a determined way of approaching social reality. This involves a tendency in which the actual research inherent in a scientific article, is set aside in favor of its function as a social mediator in academia. It can also be understood as a commodity. In other words, the scientific article is not a passive and neutral medium through which research is communicated. Instead, it is actively shaping the practice of research, altering the way scholars engage with their social objects of investigation.
To enable this critical suggestion, this study has performed interviews with scholars active in a Swedish sociological context. This study also analyzed guidelines provided by two international sociological journals. The general conclusion of the thesis is that contemporary sociological research is affected by the scientific article as its form of communication. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9127825
- author
- Widén, Daniel LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SOCM04 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- scientific article, practice of research, communication, paradigm, identity reason, commodity, capitalism
- language
- English
- id
- 9127825
- date added to LUP
- 2023-07-04 09:26:05
- date last changed
- 2023-07-04 09:26:05
@misc{9127825,
abstract = {{This study investigates the doing of research from the standpoint of communication. The ambition is to offer a historically specific critical interpretation of how to conceptualize the scientific article and its relation to contemporary sociological research. The interpretation is made in light of a synthesized theoretical framework, consisting of insights from Kuhn, Adorno, and Postone. To enable this critical interpretation, qualitative methods were deployed. Interviews were made with scholars active in a Swedish sociological context, and guidelines provided by two international journals were studied. The interpretation suggest that it is possible to conceptualize the scientific article in terms of: (i) a scientific paradigm; (ii) an expression of identity-reason; and (iii) a capitalistic category, namely as a commodity. Together, these notionsimplies that the contemporary academic climate – and its preoccupation with the scientific article – could be interpreted in terms of a paradigmatic tendency of abstraction in the practice of research. The thesis concludes that contemporary sociological research is affected by its currently dominating form of communication.}},
author = {{Widén, Daniel}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The Scientific Article: A Critical Interpretation of Twenty-First Century Scientific Communication}},
year = {{2023}},
}