Main research areas

Models, mathematical, non-linear, dynamic

• Social change as search in complex knowledge landscapes – framework  G_O_E_THE (Geometrically Oriented Evolutionary THEories) and interactive simulations (EVOLINO)
• Complex networks
• Science dynamics and science development
• Innovation dynamics and technological change
• Emergence of norms in social groups and learning strategies under uncertainty
• Emergence of new scientific fields, scientific careers and field mobility
• Evolution of knowledge organization systems (Wikipedia categories, UDC)
• Evolution of scholarly communication and the future of libraries and archives
• Modelling the use of competences for problem solving

Measurement, indicators

• Scientometrics; Science, technology and innovation indicators (including webindicators)
• Matthew effect of science
• Societal impact of research
• Baseline statistics applied to metadata of collections, user behaviour

Visualisation

• Science maps
• Knowledge maps for collections
• Visual enhanced interfaces to collections of libraries and archives

Specialties

• Theoretical physics; statistical physics; socio and econophysics, infophysics
• Philosophy of science, science history and science and technology studies(sts)
• Scientometrics
• Information Sciences

Short bio

Dr. Andrea Scharnhorst is senior policy advisor at DANS. In her academic career she moved from statistical physics, to philosophy of science, scientometrics and information sciences. She has published on models of innovation and science dynamics, the Matthew effect in science, the evolution of classification systems, the use of digital research archives, visual interfaces for information navigation, and the application of linked data in the humanities. Often her work entails the transfer of concepts and methods at an interface between physics and social sciences and humanities.

Dr. Scharnhorst coordinated and participated in several EU- and national funded projects. From 2013-2017 she was chair of the COST Action TD1210 "Knowescape". Most recently, she was one of the PI's of the Digging into Data project "Digging into the knowledge graph".

Dr. Scharnhorst publishes regularly in Information Science journals. She is co-editor of the following books:

Smiraglia, R., A. Scharnhorst (Eds.) (2022) Linking Knowledge. Würzburg, Nomos-Ergon 

Wouters, Paul, Anne Beaulieu, Andrea Scharnhorst, and Sally Wyatt (Eds.). (2013). Virtual Knowledge. Experimenting in the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

Scharnhorst, Andrea, Katy Börner, and Peter Besselaar (Eds.). (2012). Models of Science Dynamics. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-23068-4. 

Pyka, A., A. Scharnhorst (Eds.) (2009) Innovation Networks – New Approaches in Modelling and Analyzing. Springer, Berlin et al. 330 pages