paradigmscan

ParadigmScan is a proposed framework for systematically identifying and mapping paradigm shifts within and across fields of knowledge. It combines scanning of scholarly literature, policy documents, industry reports, and media coverage with qualitative and quantitative analysis to illuminate how core assumptions, methods, and norms change over time. The goal is to produce a coherent map or timeline of shifts, highlighting drivers, actors, and potential future trajectories.

Although not a single standardized approach, the term has circulated in interdisciplinary discussions since the early 2020s. Proponents describe ParadigmScan as a flexible toolkit rather than a fixed method, adaptable to domains ranging from science and technology studies to management and public policy. There is no universally accepted protocol, and implementations vary by project.

Typical methodology combines horizon scanning, systematic literature reviews, text mining, network analysis, and scenario planning. Outputs may include a paradigm map, a narrative synthesis, and a set of indicators for monitoring ongoing shifts. Practitioners emphasize transparency, reproducibility, and explicit definitions of what counts as a paradigm in a given domain.

Applications include analyzing shifts in AI ethics, climate governance, education technology, and healthcare delivery. ParadigmScan aims to help researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders anticipate implications of emerging shifts and to foster interdisciplinary dialogue.

Critics note that the concept risks oversimplification, depends on data availability, and can be sensitive to terminological choices. Observers caution that paradigm shifts are contested and may reflect disciplinary or cultural biases in data selection and interpretation.