Towards a General Methodology for Second-Order Science

In recent years a new science frontier emerged under the umbrella term of second-order science which creates new and challenging problems through a characteristic re-entry-operation like in pattern of patterns, learning of learning, cybernetics of cybernetics or logic of logic, which works with and on building blocks or elements of traditional or first-order scientific research and which, due to this re-entry configuration, becomes inherently reflexive. In this article I will pursue the ambitious goal to develop a general methodology for second-order science which is needed for second-order analyses from their initial stages up to the final steps. This general methodology will be framed as a sequence of recombination operations which become the central task for a particular step in the design of second-order investigations.