Databases, Science Communication, and the Division of Epistemic Labour

Bibliographic Data

ID21655422
AuthorsNicola Mößner (0000-0002-3041-3071, University of Stuttgart, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume32
IssueS3
Pages853-870
Publication date2022-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAxiomathes (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1122-1151 • E-ISSN: 1572-8390
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10516-022-09638-y
OpenAlexW4308443724
LanguageEN
References cited20

There are many ways in which biases can enter processes of scientific reasoning. One of these is what Ludwik Fleck has called a “harmony of illusions”. In this paper, Fleck’s ideas on the relevance of social mechanisms in epistemic processes and his detailed description of publication processes in science will be used as a starting point to investigate the connection between cognitive processes, social dynamics, and biases in this context. Despite its usefulness as a first step towards a more detailed analysis, Fleck’s account needs to be updated in order to take the developments of digital communication technologies of the 21st century into account. Taking a closer look at today’s practices of science communication shows that information and communication technologies (ICTs) play a major role here. By presenting a detailed case study concerning the database SCOPUS, the question will be investigated how such ICTs can influence the division of epistemic labour. The result will be that they potentially undermine the epistemic benefits of social dynamics in science communication due to their inherent tendency to reduce the diversity of scientific hypotheses and ideas

Data science · Epistemology · Knowledge management · Political science · Scientific communication · Sociology · Computer Science · Misinformation and Its Impacts · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Scientific Computing and Data Management

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