Jürgen Güdler
Kooperationsnetzwerke in der Forschung 
Entstehung, Struktur und Wirkung am Beispiel der Soziologie
Cooperative research networks
Development, structure, and impact in the field of sociology

Cooperation in networks is regarded as a special characteristic of modern science. However, it is rare to find studies which – from the viewpoint of development – might substantiate a connection between the professionalization of a discipline and the increase in cooperative action or – from structural aspects – between cooperation in networks and the quality of research. In the study presented here, German sociology is used as an example to examine corresponding relations based on an extensive data set. The databases of the Social Science Information Center form the foundation in this respect. The study population is represented by just under one thousand sociologists who were identified in SOFIS (social science research projects) and pursued a career as a researcher in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Networking is determined on the basis of joint participation in projects and on co-authorships (SOLIS literature database). Statements on the individual advantages of early cooperative action in the form of a later position in the science system are also made through reference to the LEHRE database (social science lectures (discontinued in 1995)). With regard to the question of the long-term development of cooperative action, reference is made at the beginning to other sources which facilitate a comparison between German cooperation trends (1945 to 1995) and American cooperation trends (1895 to 1995).

This study breaks new methodical ground by combining traditional bibliometric methods and actor-oriented linking of data from a wide range of sources for the purpose of structural and biographical analysis. Newly developed methods for measuring cooperation and networking, productivity, research quality, mobility and later placement make a major contribution towards indicator research.