Science of science

Abstract This paper presents an overview of the interdisciplinary field of science of science in the context of previous efforts to quantitatively study science, dating back to the 1920s. Rather than focusing on research questions/problems that science of science addresses, this paper focuses on the challenges for the field in its second century. In particular, it addresses existing and potential new sources of data, theoretically-based interpretation of the existing measures/indicators, and the development of new ones. The paper highlights the role of qualitative scholarship to inform current quantitative efforts. Finally, it discusses the efforts to model science as a complex multi-layered system using ideas from ecology, evolution theory, and the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and other types of modeling.