Scientific modelling with diagrams

Ulrich E Stegmann

doi:10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0

Scientific modelling with diagrams

Ulrich E Stegmann (Corresponding Author)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article

Abstract

Diagrams can serve as representational models in scientific research, yet important questions remain about how they do so. I address some of these questions with a historical case study, in which diagrams were modified extensively in order to elaborate an early hypothesis of protein synthesis. The diagrams’ modelling role relied mainly on two features: diagrams were modified according to syntactic rules, which temporarily replaced physico-chemical reasoning, and diagram-to-target inferences were based on semantic interpretations. I then explore the lessons for the relative roles of syntax, semantics, external marks, and mental images, for justifying diagram-to-target inferences, and for the “artefactual approach” to scientific models.

Original language	English
Journal	Synthese
Early online date	13 May 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 13 May 2019

Keywords

Representational models
Mental images
Notation
Mechanism
Physical models
Syntactic symbol manipulation
George Gamow
Francis Crick
Protein synthesis

Access to Document

10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0Licence: CC BY

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Scientific modelling with diagrams'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Profiles

Ulrich Stegmann

Person: Academic

Cite this

Stegmann, U. E. (2019). Scientific modelling with diagrams. Synthese. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0

@article{db3ad1a9d11b4f9c9806f44a03117eca,

title = "Scientific modelling with diagrams",

abstract = "Diagrams can serve as representational models in scientific research, yet important questions remain about how they do so. I address some of these questions with a historical case study, in which diagrams were modified extensively in order to elaborate an early hypothesis of protein synthesis. The diagrams{\textquoteright} modelling role relied mainly on two features: diagrams were modified according to syntactic rules, which temporarily replaced physico-chemical reasoning, and diagram-to-target inferences were based on semantic interpretations. I then explore the lessons for the relative roles of syntax, semantics, external marks, and mental images, for justifying diagram-to-target inferences, and for the “artefactual approach” to scientific models.",

keywords = "Representational models, Mental images, Notation, Mechanism, Physical models, Syntactic symbol manipulation, George Gamow, Francis Crick, Protein synthesis",

author = "Stegmann, {Ulrich E}",

note = "Open Access under Springer Compact Agreement An earlier version of this paper was presented at two workshops in 2016 (“Many Methods, One Biology?”, Munich, and “Representing Scientific Results”, Kassel). I thank participants for stimulating discussions. Special thanks to Christian Joas, Tilmann Massey, Robert Meunier, K{\"a}rin Nickelsen, and Raphael Scholl. I would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments by three anonymous reviewers. Springer/Nature and Elsevier granted permissions to reproduce copyrighted material.",

year = "2019",

month = may,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0",

language = "English",

journal = "Synthese",

issn = "0039-7857",

publisher = "Springer Netherlands",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Scientific modelling with diagrams

AU - Stegmann, Ulrich E

N1 - Open Access under Springer Compact Agreement An earlier version of this paper was presented at two workshops in 2016 (“Many Methods, One Biology?”, Munich, and “Representing Scientific Results”, Kassel). I thank participants for stimulating discussions. Special thanks to Christian Joas, Tilmann Massey, Robert Meunier, Kärin Nickelsen, and Raphael Scholl. I would also like to acknowledge the helpful comments by three anonymous reviewers. Springer/Nature and Elsevier granted permissions to reproduce copyrighted material.

PY - 2019/5/13

Y1 - 2019/5/13

N2 - Diagrams can serve as representational models in scientific research, yet important questions remain about how they do so. I address some of these questions with a historical case study, in which diagrams were modified extensively in order to elaborate an early hypothesis of protein synthesis. The diagrams’ modelling role relied mainly on two features: diagrams were modified according to syntactic rules, which temporarily replaced physico-chemical reasoning, and diagram-to-target inferences were based on semantic interpretations. I then explore the lessons for the relative roles of syntax, semantics, external marks, and mental images, for justifying diagram-to-target inferences, and for the “artefactual approach” to scientific models.

AB - Diagrams can serve as representational models in scientific research, yet important questions remain about how they do so. I address some of these questions with a historical case study, in which diagrams were modified extensively in order to elaborate an early hypothesis of protein synthesis. The diagrams’ modelling role relied mainly on two features: diagrams were modified according to syntactic rules, which temporarily replaced physico-chemical reasoning, and diagram-to-target inferences were based on semantic interpretations. I then explore the lessons for the relative roles of syntax, semantics, external marks, and mental images, for justifying diagram-to-target inferences, and for the “artefactual approach” to scientific models.

KW - Representational models

KW - Mental images

KW - Notation

KW - Mechanism

KW - Physical models

KW - Syntactic symbol manipulation

KW - George Gamow

KW - Francis Crick

KW - Protein synthesis

UR - http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0

UR - http://www.mendeley.com/research/scientific-modellingwith-diagrams

U2 - 10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0

DO - 10.1007/s11229-019-02239-0

M3 - Article

JO - Synthese

JF - Synthese

SN - 0039-7857

ER -