From Models to Methods: A Two-Axis Taxonomy of Safety Science Models, Frameworks and Tools (Preprint)

Abstract

Safety science names its knowledge objects inconsistently: paradigms, theories, models, methods, taxonomies, measurement instruments and standards are often listed together under the single heading of “models”, which hides what each can and cannot do. This study develops a two-axis taxonomy that codes each entity by the field it addresses and by the kind of knowledge object it is, together with level of analysis, temporal orientation and primary function. Entities were extracted from 1,809 relevance-screened Web of Science records (1980-2026), and the scheme was refined through six documented critique rounds, including independent double coding of a stratified sample. The inventory comprises 181 units of analysis in twelve entity types. Field and primary function are associated (Cramér’s V = 0.35); the share of records naming the systemic strands rose from the mid-2000s and levelled off around 2020; and the co-mention network forms four recurring communities, with behavioural and healthcare units at the periphery.

Keywords: safety science, accident causation models, taxonomy, human factors, patient safety, resilience engineering, systems thinking, bibliometric review

Read the full preprint: six sections, 14 tables, 7 figures, six testable propositions and 100 references. Not peer reviewed.
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Highlights

• 181 units of analysis (146 single entities, 35 lineages); 133 are observed in 1,809 records
• Two axes separate what an entity is about from what kind of knowledge object it is
• Field and primary function are associated (Cramér’s V = 0.35)
• Coder kappa 0.67 to 0.89 on four dimensions; weaker for orientation and usage role
• Four recurring co-mention communities; behavioural and healthcare units at the periphery

Companion resource

Every coded unit is drawn and described in the open Safety Science Entity Atlas (Türkçe), doi:10.5281/zenodo.23138415.

Prepared by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Nurullah Kurutkan, Düzce University, Faculty of Business, Department of Health Management.