Scientists’ use of diagrams in developing mechanistic explanations
A case study from chronobiology
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20484647 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Daniel C Burnston (0000-0001-8281-3256, Tulane University), Benjamin Sheredos (0000-0003-3605-0731, Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego), Adele Abrahamsen (Center for Research in Language, University of California, San Diego), William Bechtel (0000-0001-6370-5321) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 224-243 |
| Publication date | 2014-12-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Pragmatics & Cognition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0929-0907 • E-ISSN: 1569-9943 |
| Publisher | John Benjamins Publishing Company (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1075/pc.22.2.04bur |
| OpenAlex | W2219561397 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 8 |
| References cited | 16 |
We explore the crucial role of diagrams in scientific reasoning, especially reasoning directed at developing mechanistic explanations of biological phenomena. We offer a case study focusing on one research project that resulted in a published paper advancing a new understanding of the mechanism by which the central circadian oscillator in Synechococcus elongatus controls gene expression. By examining how the diagrams prepared for the paper developed over the course of multiple drafts, we show how the process of generating a new explanation vitally involved the development and integration of multiple versions of different types of diagrams, and how reasoning about the mechanism proceeded in tandem with the development of the diagrams used to represent it
Cognitive science · Epistemology · Programming language · Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies · Computer Science · Data Visualization and Analytics · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Psychology
Data graphs and mechanistic explanation
Communicating with scientific graphics
Mechanism diagrams and abstraction-by-aggregation
Spot the difference
Change in the graphics of journal articles in the life sciences field
Diagrammatic reasoning
Diagrammatic reasoning
Explaining features of fine-grained phenomena using abstract analyses of phenomena and mechanisms
| Unique citing works | 8 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,67 |
| Citation span | 2014 - 2022 (9) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |