Social functions of scientific communication

“Scientific communication” is defined as the public display, by an individual scientist or small group of scientists to other scientists, of the results of recent research accomplished by the individual or small group, by means of papers published in scientific journals, delivered at conferences, or informally distributed among members of invisible colleges. A “social function” of scientific communication is defined as an effect of scientific communication on a scientific discipline or on one or more of its members. It is argued that the social functions of scientific communication grow out of three fundamental characteristics of science as a social enterprise: (1) science is a professional occupation; (2) science is a value-directed norm-governed social activity; and (3) science is a system of social exchange. The characteristics of scientific papers are examined in light of their social functions. It is suggested that these functions may be classified in three categories: (1) surveillance functions; (2) socialization functions; and (3) social control functions.