Evolution of the Economics of Science in the Twenty Century

A new discipline analyses the role of science in society: the economics of scientific research. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the origins, nature, evolution and structure of the economics of scientific research. The paper suggests that one of the first scholars that has tried to systematize this discipline is Paul Freedman with the book 'The principles of scientific research' published in London in 1949 by Pergamon Press. In addition, the study here also endeavours to show whenever possible the evolution of this discipline through central topics from emerging research fields