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Measuring Convergence in Science and Engineering Proceedings of a Workshop (2021) / Chapter Skim
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3 Overview of National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Data Collections, Data Products, and Its Previous Work in This Area
Pages 13-20

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From page 13...
... In that time, several definitional issues arose as academic institutions and disciplines have developed their own definitions to characterize research that reaches across disciplines. Anderson noted the transition from the use of the terms "disciplinary," "multidisciplinary," and "inter­ isciplinary," to d the term "convergence." Each term created definitional issues and brought attention to new aspects of research that drew on expertise from various disciplines.
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From page 14...
... Regarding where NCSES is going, Anderson believes that now is a good time to re­ investigate convergence and its definition. As research becomes increasingly problem-oriented rather than merely discipline-oriented, focuses on societal impacts, and leans toward deep integration, NCSES leadership realizes the importance of measuring the impact of interdisciplinary research and of convergence.
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From page 15...
... By the end of that workshop, attendees concluded that interdisciplinary research and de ­ velopment (R&D) is difficult to detect, describe, and measure, and that the existing taxonomy of disciplines does not easily accommodate an exploration of emerging outcomes.
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From page 16...
... , maintains the use of definitions, but ones that are specific to a field such as biotechnology or nanotechnology. By following the guidance provided in the Frascati Manual, the survey allows NCSES to produce internationally comparable data to estimate the number of companies involved with interdisciplinary or convergent research.
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From page 17...
... As a highlight, Anderson referenced a partnership with researchers at the University of Virginia, who leveraged topic modeling strategies to investigate pandemics, with a particular focus on issues related to COVID-19. By extracting recent Federal RePORTER data prior to 2020, the group has been able to detect emerging trends with respect to pandemic and coronavirus research and to track topics using a convergent approach.
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From page 18...
... g Jankowski confirmed that the BERD and HERD surveys aggregate projectlevel data that are further aggregated at the national level. He noted that additional questions regarding demographic information have been added 3  U.S.
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From page 19...
... The data currently provided by journal administrators do not allow for such demographic analysis. In responding to a follow-up question, Khan said that the data-linking process is ongoing, and so not all data are fully available to the National Science F ­ oundation (NSF)
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Key Terms

  • convergence research
  • berd survey
  • data quality
  • bibliometric data
  • definitional issues

  • frascati manual
  • convergent research
  • data collections
  • ncses leadership
  • quality issues

  • demographic analysis
  • anderson explained
  • measure interdisciplinarity
  • successfully measured
  • various disciplines

  • educational institutions
  • existing taxonomies
  • asked respondents
  • societal impacts
  • final version

  • survey provided
  • survey successfully
  • funding data
  • level data
  • survey question

  • background research
  • posed data
  • administrative data
  • ncses explores
  • data allow


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