Scientific Knowledge Production Processes

Abstract

In this chapter we turn our attention to the third of the principal dimensions of scientific change that has been in evidence in recent years — change in scientific knowledge production processes. Knowledge production processes are defined here as how the vision and organisation(s) of science combine together to actually produce scientific knowledge via some socio-economic process. That is, who produces the knowledge, for what purpose, who (if anyone) owns it and how is it used? Implicit in our argument is that the mode of production has repercussions for how science and its knowledge product are perceived, where power lies and the use that is made of the product. Here we will also pick up on the themes of organic and policy-driven change discussed in Chapter 1.