Exploring Fragmentation in Emerging Fields of Research

Thematic fragmentation within emerging fields can be a sign of positive diversity and dynamic heterogeneity, or a threat to scientific progress and collaboration. Especially a low self-awareness of the field may be crucial, as it could relate to thematic fragments with low exchange of knowledge. We address this issue by analyzing the effects of two measures of fragmentation, self-referentiality and modularity in the citation network, on productivity and collaboration in the research field. Using the emerging field of translational psychotherapy as an example, we apply predictive modeling and examine a time span of 40 years (1982-2021). Results show that normalized self-referentiality (the number of direct citations divided by the number of possible citations within the research field) is positively related to the publication volume over time. In conclusion, the analysis of direct citations between thematic fragments in the research field seems promising for distinguishing between malignant disintegration and benign forms of fragmentation.