A Communication Model of the Scientific School

The communication model of the scientific school is based on the concept of information networks. The network model allows quite a number of essential and quantitative characteristics of a particular school to be obtained in as much as the concept of the information network reflecting the specific quantitative and structural parameters of communication corresponds to the essence and nature of the latter.

Application of scientometric methods combined with sociological procedures and analysis of the discovered information links yielded five types of links: Tutorship links, co-authorship links, reference links, informal direct information links, and fellowship links. Study showed that combined with other procedures, scientometric methods are useful in establishing the membership and structure of a scientific school and tracing its development in history.

The Lithuanian scientific school in number theory and probability theory was conceived as an appropriate object of investigation.