Geographical NetWorkshop: GEOcite – a scientometric monitoring instrument for the longitudinal observation of scientific communication

This project is mainly concerned with the development of the software solution GEOcite, a monitoring tool for continuous scientific observation within geography in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. GEOcite makes a contribution to the automatic large-scale gathering, processing and evaluation of citation data both recent and historical, thus making it possible to process a wide range of questions designed to analyse the discipline. 

This project is the follow-up project to "Geography and the two cultures: are we bridging the divide?": with the aid of network analysis methods, research can be carried on into areas such as the development of the discipline and the genesis of paradigms in German-language geography. Whilst the project so far has only centred around the current structure of the discipline, not taking the chronological dimension of the structuring process into account, a dynamic approach will be developed in the next phase: it will focus on the chronological dynamics in the development of the discipline and the evolution of paradigms. 

New development of technological foundation and establishment of a comprehensive database for citation data within geographical research.

First, this broadening of the research perspective requires the technological foundation and the necessary database to be created. In concrete terms, the continuation phase is about the development and implementation of a scientometric monitoring instrument for the longitudinal observation of scientific communication ("GEOcite"). As a software solution, GEOcite aims to gather, collect and process historical and recent citation data on a large scale (from 1949 to the present day). Recourse has been had to both digital and analogue archives. 

Publication and use of the data by means of web application.

GEOcite creates the conditions for bibliometric network analyses which contribute to a better understanding of disciplinary dynamics. In view of the facts that the possibilities for the use of the data gathered extend far beyond the actual context of our own project and are suitable for numerous (follow-up) research projects concerned with the history of the discipline and its epistemology, it will be important to archive the data in the long term and make them publicly available. The data obtained should be made available to the expert community and thus be obtainable in the long term for empirical science studies and historical observation of the discipline. Our aim is to create the conditions for making both the databases themselves and certain applications of GEOcite accessible to the expert community as downloads and/or web applications. 

For further information on the aims, research design and publications on the study, go to the project website "Geography and the two cultures: are we bridging the divide?"