Seminar
Social and epistemic inequalities in science: insights from a multi-method study of forest research
- Nelius Boshoff & Susanne Koch
- Date
- Friday 5 December 2025
- Time
- Series
- CWTS Research Seminars
- Location
-
Willem Einthoven
Kolffpad 1
2333 BN Leiden - Room
- Online & Common rooms, CWTS
About the seminar
Inequalities in science have come under scrutiny in the last decade. Different strands of science studies, including scientometrics and sociological works, have examined geographic and gender inequalities in scientific fields. However, the persistent divide between these works prevents a more holistic understanding of how macro-level structures relate to micro-level experiences and practices that (re-) produce prevailing patterns. In this seminar, we present insights from the In-Forest project, a multi-method study on inequality and its epistemic effects in forest research. In our presentation, we synthesize findings from bibliometric and ethnographic analyses conducted as part of the DFG-funded project. We also reflect on the methodological learnings and challenges in linking these approaches in an in-depth empirical study, and the potential of reconciling scientometrics and sociology of science for investigating social and epistemic structures in science.
About the speakers
Nelius Boshoff is Professor at the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He specialises in research uptake and the broader impact of research, research collaboration, research assessment, and bibliometric analysis with a focus on research in Africa. He holds a PhD in Science and Technology and Master’s degree (Cum Laude) in Research Psychology from Stellenbosch University.
Susanne Koch is a sociologist of science at the Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS) of Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany, and research fellow of CREST. She investigates the interrelations between (in-) equality, knowledge diversity and valuation in science, with an empirical focus on environmental fields and mixed-methods research. Susanne holds a PhD in Sociology (Summa cum laude) from Bielefeld University and a habilitation in Sociology awarded by TUM.