  This study analyzes how the accumulation of knowledge takes place in
para-scientific areas, focusing on the case of Analytic Philosophy. The
theoretical framework chosen for the analysis is Kuhn's theory of normal
science. The methodology employed is qualitative citation context analysis. A
sample of 60 papers published in leading Analytic Philosophy journals between
1950 and 2009 is analyzed, and a specific classsificatory scheme is developed
to classify citations according to their epistemological function. Compared to
previous studies of citation context, this is the first paper that includes the
temporal dimension into the analysis of citation context, in order to gain
insights into the process of knowledge accumulation. Interestingly, the results
show that Analytic Philosophy started accumulating after Second World War, but
in a peculiar way. The accumulation was not matched by a corresponding rising
consensus. This can be explained by the hypothesis that AP underwent a process
of fragmentation in sub-fields during the second half of the century.
