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Quote by Robert K. Merton

“We thus begin to see that the institutionalized practice of citations and references in the sphere of learning is not a trivial matter. While many a general reader-that is, the lay reader located outside the domain of science and scholarship-may regard the lowly footnote or the remote endnote or the bibliographic parenthesis as a dispensable nuisance, it can be argued that these are in truth central to the incentive system and an underlying sense of distributive justice that do much to energize the advancement of knowledge.”

Quote by Robert K. Merton

Book:On Social Structure and Science
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Work

On Social Structure and Science

This work investigates how social structures influence the development, practice, and dissemination of scientific knowledge. The title suggests an analysis of the institutional, cultural, and organizational frameworks within which science operates, potentially examining how societal norms, power dynamics, and collective behaviors shape scientific research and its outcomes. The subject matter appears to bridge sociology of science with broader questions about how social organizations impact the production of knowledge. more

Author

Robert K. Merton
Robert K. Merton

Robert K. Merton was a prominent sociologist of science, born on July 4, 1910, and passed away on February 23, 2003. His research focused on the sociology of science, offering profound insights into the production of scientific knowledge, the behavior of scientists, and the relationship between science and society. more

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