科学发现偶然性研究综述

Understanding Serendipity in Science: A Survey

【目的】总结科学发现偶然性的概念、组成、典型支撑技术和应用,分析相关研究面临的挑战和发展方向。【文献范围】在Microsoft Academic、Google Scholar等平台中对相关关键词(如"serendipity""novelty""diversity"等)进行检索,经筛选后共引用102篇文献。【方法】回顾不同场景下科学研究中的偶然发现,探讨科学发现偶然性的概念,对相关支撑工具以及应用进行分类总结。【结果】支持偶然发现的工具有助于科学研究;目前偶然发现没有统一定义,如何评估科学发现的偶然性仍具有困难。【局限】影响科学发现的偶然性因素复杂,已有的研究分析尚不全面。【结论】科学研究中的偶然发现有助于科学进步,但探索科学发现的偶然性仍面临着缺少度量标准、难于控制等一系列挑战。

[Objective] This paper summarizes the components and definitions of serendipity, reviews representative supporting technologies and applications of serendipity in science, and discusses challenges and future directions in this field. [Coverage] We searched relevant keywords such as"serendipity","novelty"and"diversity"in research repositories such as Microsoft Academic and Google Scholar. A total of 102 well-selected references are finally cited. [Methods] We reviewed serendipitous discoveries in various scenarios, and discussed the concept of serendipity in the context of science. Relevant tools and applications are categorized. [Results] The tools that support serendipity are conducive to scientific research. However, there is no uniform definition of serendipity, thus making it difficult to measure serendipity in science. [Limitations] The factors affecting serendipity in science are complex, and yet to be explored. [Conclusions] Serendipity is one of the indispensable factors for scientific advances. However, many challenges are facing the exploration of serendipity in science,such as lack of metrics and difficulty to control.