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Author
Name Michelini, Matteo
Research field Philosophy of Science and Scientometrics
Career stage doctoral researcher
Home university/institution Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)
Department/Research unit at home university/institution Philosophy and Educational Research
Chair/Working group at home institution Dunja Šešelja

International activity
Country Italy
Location Turin
University University of Turin
Fund Research School PR.INT
Type of activity research stay
Period starts 03-02-2025
ends 29-03-2025
Keywords Philosophy of Science, Scientometrics, Agent-based Modelling, Sociology of Science
Report During my research stay at the University of Turin, I worked under Prof. Eugenio Petrovich to advance the empirical calibration of agent-based models (ABMs) in the study of scientific inquiry. The primary goal was to refine my models by integrating real-world data, improving their empirical accuracy.

Accordingly, I attended specialized courses on formal and empirical methods in philosophy and scientometrics. Based on what I learnt from such courses, I collected and analyzed empirical data from databases like Web of Science and Scopus with the help of Prof. Petrovich. This led to begin the model calibration for a better alignment with real scientific behaviour.

Furthermore, I started working on two different projects with Prof. Petrovich. First, we started writing a project discussing the philosophical interpretations of some scientific indicators. Secondly, we started working on a formal model of scientific inquiry that should allow us to test some of the most important theories concerning the use of citations in scientific practice. The combination of these two works should form the basis for further collaboration between scientometrics, philosophy of science, and agent-based models.


Outcomes & Future Work

The stay provided essential training in empirical methods and led to a structured calibration plan. Future steps include finishing the two co-authored papers with Prof. Petrovich and presenting findings at conferences. The project contributes to improving ABMs for studying scientific communities and informing research policies.
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