A review of the co-citation based Science Foresight process

This report was commissioned by the UK MOD’s Research Acquisition Organisation as part of a wider investigation aimed at informing the selection of an appropriate process for ‘horizon scanning’. Though the stakeholders in the output of such scanning extend throughout MOD and into its wider networks within government and commercial organisations, the process must primarily serve Output 5 of MOD’s research programme. In this context, horizon scanning can be seen as the means for identifying significant developments in civil and foreign defence science and technology that may not otherwise be noted through MOD’s own technical programmes. Through the ‘Science Foresight’ Project, which reported in 2001, MOD/Dstl, aided by SPRU, designed and piloted a process that addresses at least some of the aspects required for horizon scanning as defined above. Specifically, this process provides a means for ‘targeting’ influential scientific authors and collecting their views as to the future of their domain.