Liquid Science and Digital Transformation: How Knowledge between Researchers Flows in Their Scientific Networks

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how information and communication technologies have affected the way in which research groups are connected in their professional setting. It also analyses the techniques of interaction and cooperation of research groups, the exploration of information and the gateway to information, as well as the main tendencies and variations that researchers have observed during the last years. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was proposed to 305 scholars from different areas observing 159 variable responses. In order to complement and correctly interpret the information gathered within the survey, selected researchers were interviewed, and some of their opinions are reported in this work. Findings: Researchers see how their scientific networks expand thanks to digital tools, establishing professional relationships with other researchers. Moreover, researchers want to increase the amount of their scientific collaboration but they also need analogical meetings with others researchers, where face-to-face relations can accomplish the lack of this in digital communication. Originality: The dominance of tools used in scientific network activity is mixed, composed of analogical and digital ones. Researchers recognize the primary role assumed by digital practices in their work, increasing the quantity and the quality of it thanks to the efficiency and the access to information from different parts of the world. Social implication: Digital transformation has modified the research practices of researchers, from communication among them to the management of data. This new context of professional relations opens innovative implications and approaches for sharing knowledge between researchers and international collaborations.