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Constructing diagrams to understand phenomena and mechanisms

Sheredos, Benjamin and Bechtel, William (2016) Constructing diagrams to understand phenomena and mechanisms. In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

Biologists often hypothesize mechanisms to explai phenomena. Our interest is how their understanding of the phenomena and mechanisms develops as they construct diagrams to communicate their claims. We present two case studies in which scientists integrate various data to create a single diagram to communicate their major conclusions in a research publication. In both cases, the history of revisions suggests that scientists' initial drafts encode biases and oversights that are only gradually overcome through prolonged, reflective re-design. To account for this, we suggest that scientists only develop a unitary understanding of their results through their attempts to communicate them.


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Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Sheredos, Benjaminben.sheredos@gmail.com
Bechtel, William
Keywords: mechanism; diagrams; cognitive collage; multiple models idelaization; data visualization;
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology
General Issues > Explanation
General Issues > Models and Idealization
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Depositing User: Benjamin Sheredos
Date Deposited: 29 Oct 2016 16:50
Last Modified: 29 Oct 2016 16:50
Item ID: 12546
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology
General Issues > Explanation
General Issues > Models and Idealization
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Date: November 2016
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12546

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