Rethinking Ethnography for Philosophy of Science

Abstract

We lay groundwork for applying ethnographic methods in philosophy of science. We frame our analysis in terms of two tasks, 1) to identify the benefits of an ethnographic approach in philosophy of science, and 2) to structure an ethnographic approach for philosophical investigation best adapted to provide information relevant to philosophical interests and epistemic values. To this end, we advocate for a purpose-guided form of cognitive ethnography which mediates between the explanatory and normative interests of philosophy of science, while maintaining openness and independence when framing such an investigation in order to achieve robust unbiased results.

Interdisciplinarity in the Making

“…In general, it is important to keep in mind that all ethnographic research is interpretive. As such, the researcher is the instrument of data collection and analysis, and, so, the researcher's interests, values, and motivations are always present, and it is a necessary part of good research to be explicit about and confront these MacLeod 2022). We were aided in our attention to potential researcher bias in data collection and analysis by the unusual approach we took to conducting ethnography.…”

“…To consider here, in general, how ethnography can be adapted from its social science roots to serve as a method of philosophical investigation, in line with philosophers' interests, goals, and values, would take us too far afield from the subject of this book. I have undertaken that analysis elsewhere in order to promote an ethnographic approach in philosophy of science (Nersessian and Macleod 2022). Instead, I next detail, specifically, how we framed and developed the multiyear ethnographic investigation of epistemic practices in bioengineering sciences research labs that is discussed in this book.…”

“…Indeed, a major contribution of STS ethnographies of research labs is that they have demonstrated repeatedly the value of ethnographic methods for investigating scientific practices across a range of sciences. I began the project presented here with the conviction that philosophers need not cede this important methodological tool to sociocultural science studies fields, but that it could be adapted and used to address philosophical issues (Nersessian and Macleod 2022). This conviction was supported by its use by cognitive scientists to investigate other kinds of problem-solving practices in D-cog.…”

Individual differences, uniqueness, and individuality in behavioural ecology

“…Amongst other topics, we asked participants short-answer questions about individuality and individual differences. Together with Hanna Metzen, we analysed the responses using semi-grounded coding, which involves developing codes for ideas or themes that were identified while reading the responses (Mansnerus & Wagenknecht, 2015;Nersessian & MacLeod, 2022). Codes are categories or concepts (represented by words and phrases) that are used to mark the various themes, ideas, meanings, or characteristics that come up in different parts of a text (Corbin & Strauss, 2015, Chapter 12).…”

Scientists Are Epistemic Consequentialists about Imagination

“…And it is understandably difficult-impossible, in a strict sense-for the historian to get a second source for any given mental event, in order to triangulate toward historical truth. (2010, To overcome these limitations, real-time qualitative research should be used to help reveal the cognitive activities and social patterns of scientific practice, through carefully interpreted observations and interviews (Nersessian and MacLeod 2022). The present paper presents the results of such a study, beginning in 2016 and still ongoing.…”