Similarities and Dissimilarities in Coauthorship Networks: Gestalt Theory as Explanation for Well-ordered Collaboration Structures and Production of Scientific Literature

BASEDO N GESTALTHEORY, the author assumes the existence of afieldforce equilibrium to explain how, according to the conciseness principle, mathematically precise gestalts could exist in coauthorship networks. A simple mathematical function is developed for the description of these gestalts which can encompass complementary tendencies (as in the principle ofYin and Yang) in their dynamic interplay and, thus, can reflect the change in gestalts. For example, “Birds of a feather flock together” and “Opposites attract” are explained as complementary tendencies. The data are obtained by SCI. In analyzing the coauthorship networks, coauthorship relations Z between scientists (third dimension) are recorded from the point of view of every scientist with productivity X (first dimension) to all the other scientists with productivity Y (second dimension). According to the conciseness principle, threedimensional well-ordered gestalts from different science disciplines are presented. The results of the study have confirmed Metzger’s conjectures that the conciseness principle also has validity for social systems, and is valid even with the same conciseness as in the psychology of perception. It is possible that the presented mathematical function has assumed a more general character and, in consequence, is also more likely applicable to the description of citation networks or the spreading of information.