How is new knowledge produced in the social, natural, and biomedical sciences? What is the role of serendipity versus planning? How has technology changed knowledge production, from AI to large datasets? This book presents insights into the pursuit of new knowledge from fields as diverse as medicine, engineering, linguistics, and theology. Over twenty researchers and scientists describe the modalities of discovery in their disciplines, offering a diverse survey of the social norms and politics of knowledge. Written in nontechnical language, this collection is designed to make research practices from widely different domains comprehensible to each other. A generative synthesis in the final chapter offers new insights into how discovery happens and its consequences for science and society. On Discovery will be essential reading for anyone interested in philosophical and social dimensions of knowledge.
How is new knowledge generated across the social, natural and biomedical sciences? What is common and different about processes of discovery in different disciplines? This book presents the modalities of discovery from 21 different disciplines from physics and philosophy to genetics and astronomy.
Arvustused
'This insightful and thought-provoking book sheds light on the hidden processes of knowledge production, offering a rare glimpse into how scholars navigate research and discovery. With its cross-disciplinary approach, it is an invaluable guide for researchers seeking to deepen their understanding of disciplinary knowledge and its ethical and political implications across fields.' Michalinos Zembylas, Professor of Education, Open University of Cyprus 'Jonathan Jansen has developed an important book for those engaging in research. He demonstrates the centrality of creating new knowledge through research and discovery to addressing the dilemmas, problems and conflict of life and politics today and the necessity of generating new knowledge and understandings if we are to develop our society and world. This book will engage, fascinate and refresh.' Colleen McLaughlin, Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Cambridge
Muu info
Authors from across the social, natural, and biomedical sciences describe how new knowledge is generated in their fields.
1. Introduction: on the question of discovery Jonathan Jansen;
2.
Physics: extracting meaning from models Irvy Gledhill;
3. Philosophy: making
philosophical discoveries Thaddeus Metz;
4. Psychology: discovery, solidarity
and politics in psychology Leslie Swartz;
5. Biochemistry: creating new
knowledge in the field of applied biochemistry Stephanie Burton;
6.
Astronomy: discovering the stars Justin Jonas;
7. Dentistry: extracting
knowledge from communities Stephen James Heinrich Hendricks;
8. Surgery: what
the hands know Elmi Muller;
9. Theology: surfacing after being swallowed in
the book of Jonah Juliana Claassens;
10. Architecture: authority, identity,
and place in creating new knowledge Philippa Tumubweinee;
11. Palaeontology:
the knowledge in the bones Anusuya Chinsamy Turan;
12. Music: on performing
and discovering Mozart Stephanus Muller;
13. Law: three graces certainty,
originality, and justice Daniel Visser;
14. Genetics: discovering human
origins through DNA Himla Soodyall;
15. Classics: inventio Archimedes,
Cicero and me Grant Parker;
16. Archaeology: archaeology as disaggregation
and fragmentation of knowledge Innocent Pikirayi;
17. History: discovering
social histories from the provinces Neil Roos;
18. Linguistics: discovery
procedures in language and linguistic research Rajend Mesthrie;
19. Public
health: following the data to save lives Quarraisha Abdool Karim;
20.
Engineering: the search for a black cat in a dark room Thokozani Majozi;
21.
Microbiology: discovering microbes Thulani Makhalanyane;
22. Conclusion: the
discovery of new knowledge an integrative synthesis Jonathan Jansen.
Jonathan Jansen is a Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and is the immediate past president of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He is a curriculum theorist with work on the politics of knowledge in schools and universities.
