Toward a Consensus Map of Science
Richard Klavans and Kevin W. Boyack
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and
Technology (2009), vol. 60(2), pages TBD. Digital Object Identifier: DOI: 10.1002/asi.20991

A consensus map of science is generated from an analysis of twenty existing maps of science. These twenty maps occur in three basic forms: hierarchical, centric, and non-centric (or circular). The consensus map, generated from consensus edges that occur in at least half of the input maps, emerges in a circular form. The ordering of areas is as follows: mathematics is (arbitrarily) placed at the top of the circle, and is followed clockwise by physics, physical chemistry, engineering, chemistry, earth sciences, biology, biochemistry, infectious diseases, medicine, health services, brain research, psychology, humanities, social sciences, and computer science. The link between computer science and mathematics completes the circle. If the lowest weighted edges are pruned from this consensus circular map, a hierarchical map stretching from mathematics to social sciences results. The circular map of science is found to have a high level of correspondence with the twenty existing maps, and has a variety of advantages over hierarchical and centric forms. A one-dimensional Riemannian version of the consensus map is also proposed.

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