"Robert King Merton" ba kalma ba ce, amma sunan mutum ne. Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) kwararre ne kan zamantakewar al'umma Ba'amurke wanda ya ba da gudummawa mai mahimmanci a fagen ilimin zamantakewa, musamman a fagen ka'idar zamantakewa, ilimin zamantakewa na kimiyya, da bincike na aiki. Wataƙila an fi saninsa da haɓaka manufar “annabcin cika kansa” da kuma ƙirƙirar kalmar “abin koyi”. Ayyukansa sun yi tasiri sosai akan ilimin zamantakewa da zamantakewar zamantakewa, kuma ana ɗaukarsa ɗaya daga cikin manyan mutane a tarihin zamantakewa.