domainsscience

Domainsscience is an emerging interdisciplinary field that studies the structure, boundaries, and dynamics of domains within information spaces and digital ecosystems. A domain is treated as a bounded, coherent area of activity, knowledge, data, or governance, and domainsscience examines how such boundaries are formed, maintained, and changed, as well as how information and actors move across them. Because the term “domain” is used in several disciplines, domainsscience aims to provide a flexible conceptual toolkit rather than a single universal model.

Scope and approach: Researchers draw on data science, network theory, ontology engineering, linguistics, cognitive science, library science, and software engineering to address questions such as how to identify domain boundaries, how to map domain relationships, how domains specialize or hybridize, and how domain interoperability can be achieved. Methods include analysis of text and metadata, network analysis, topic modeling, and the development of domain ontologies and taxonomies. The field also engages boundary theories and governance considerations relevant to managing cross-domain interactions.

Applications and relevance: Domainsscience informs digital libraries, knowledge management, and the science of science by supporting more effective organization and discovery across domains. It supports cross-domain AI systems, improved search and information retrieval, cybersecurity that respects domain separation, and governance of domain-related infrastructure such as domain name systems and organizational boundaries.

Relation to other fields and status: The concept overlaps with knowledge organization, ontology engineering, and network science, while offering a distinct emphasis on domain boundaries, transitions, and interoperability. As a developing field, terminology and methodology continue to evolve.