Redefiners of discipline borders: A Bayesian detection method for conceptual changes in scientific knowledge

Novelty of a scientific paper cannot be evaluated simply by the number of citations it receives. It should be judged, at least in part, by the extent to which it redefines the borders of disciplines. This study proposes a technique to provide some quantitative insight into how concepts presented by a paper generate changes in academic disciplines. The study uses a naïve Bayes classifier to package the developmental processes of knowledge according to the processes of assimilation and accommodation as put forward in Piaget's theory of equilibration and goes on to put to the test this technique in studies of vision in cognitive psychology. Our analysis identifies three types of boundary redefiners, i.e., boundary constructor, boundary spanner and boundary reconstructor which, in association, are seen to strengthen the uniqueness of a given discipline, bridge different disciplines and bring about the emergence of new fields.