Didier Torny

Didier Torny is a CNRS Senior Researcher (Directeur de Recherche) at the Center for the Sociology of Innovation (CSI i3), Mines Paris - PSL, where he has been working since 2016. He serves as project officer at the CNRS Open Science Direction and is a member of the French Open Science Committee. Torny is also the scientific director of Matilda, an open bibliographic search platform based on open data, and contributes to Scriptopolis, a blog on urban writings with CSI colleagues.

His research spans the intersection of sociology of mobilizations, sociology of law, sociology of public action, and sociology of science. Torny has conducted extensive fieldwork on the political economy of academic publication, particularly with David Pontille and Victoria Brun. His work on health risks has covered diverse areas including mad cow disease, asbestos, pesticides, vaccines, diethylstilbestrol, and endocrine disruptors, examining how administrations write and implement public standards and how new governance forms emerge around traceability.

Analysis of Torny's recent publications reveals a strong focus on scholarly communication systems, particularly peer review processes, journal evaluation metrics, and open access models. His work demonstrates how academic publishing functions as a site of social and political contestation, where evaluation instruments shape knowledge production. The research shows evolving trends from traditional peer review to post-publication review systems, with increasing attention to open science infrastructure and the political economy of academic publishing.

• Scientific director of Matilda open bibliographic search platform
• Member of French Open Science Committee
• Project officer at CNRS Open Science Direction
• Contributor to Scriptopolis blog on urban writings

Torny has directed numerous research contracts across multiple fields of health policy and risk management. His collaborative work with David Pontille represents a significant contribution to understanding the sociology of scientific evaluation. His research often examines how controversies shape scientific practices and policy responses, particularly in health prevention contexts.

At CSI, Torny contributes to collective research projects focused on the sociology of scientific practices and knowledge production systems. His ongoing work examines transformations in scholarly communication, particularly how digital platforms and open science initiatives are reshaping academic publishing and evaluation.