Examining the dynamics of an emerging research network using the case of triboelectric nanogenerators

The analysis of a scientist's decision to conduct research in a specific scientific field is an interesting way to trace the emergence of a new technology. The growth of a research community in size and persistence is an important indicator of a new scientific field's vitality. Using a case study on triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) technology, this study identifies how research participation and community dynamics evolve during the emergence phase of a technology, and further what are the key conditions and determinants of the emergent author network. The study uses scientific publication data from 2012 through 2017 extracted from the Web of Science database. Results show communities emerging through actors' close proximity rather than from their shared thematic orientation. For individual researchers, the boundary between prior research and TENG research was negligible partly questioning the existence Kuhnian paradigm shifts.