Method and Fieldwork in a Hermeneutical Perspective

Espen Suenson Åbo Akademi

13.2.2012

1st point: Science is argumentation.

We argue to convince

Science is argumentation

• Numbers can’t speak for themselves • We need to know when planning an

experiment what the numbers are for

Science is argumentation

• What is written in the grant proposal has an influence on the subsequent research

Science is argumentation

•  Perelman & Olbrecths-Tyteca (1958): Convincing yourself is a special case of convincing others

Science is argumentation

• Gadamer (1960): All thought is directed by application

•  For a scientist, the application is to convince other scientists

Science is argumentation

•  Latour & Woolgar (1979): empirical demonstration that the natural sciences are as much about argumentation as any other

2nd point: The scientific argument

The scientific argument

A point we wish to make + form + evidence

The scientific argument

•  Example (Heidenberg, Nåls, Porres 2008: Statechart features and pre-release maintenance defects, p. 465)

• Quote: “The understandability points ratio and the assessed difficulty for changeability are the two major indicators that ModelA was easier to understand and change.”

“The understandability points ratio and the assessed difficulty for changeability are the two major indicators that ModelA was easier to understand and change.”

•  Form: enthymeme • Major premise: understandability points

ratio and assessed difficulty indicate ease of understanding and changing

• Minor premise: “in Table 4 we can see that ModelA generated better values for all four data points.”

• Conclusion: ModelA is easier to understand and change

“The understandability points ratio and the assessed difficulty for changeability are the two major indicators that ModelA was easier to understand and change.”

•  Point we wish to make: It is easier to understand models written using a better design style

“The understandability points ratio and the assessed difficulty for changeability are the two major indicators that ModelA was easier to understand and change.”

•  Evidence: Paired sample t-test comparing Model1 – ModelA.

The scientific argument

•  This kind of rhetorical analysis can be done with different choices of base unit size: sentence, paragraph, section, article, book …

3rd point: scientific evidence depends on

interpretation

Scientific evidence

•  Evidence that cannot be understood is useless

Scientific evidence

• We can always get more evidence, hence interpretation is important, not quantity

Scientific evidence

•  Evidence and interpretation is linked by the point that we’re trying to make

•  This point is: the research goal

4th point: What does this have to do with

fieldwork?

Fieldwork

•  Fieldwork is a method for gathering evidence

Fieldwork

•  Basic idea: talk to people, see what they’re doing

Fieldwork

•  You have to solve problems and adjust your method as you go along

•  People are unpredictable. If you knew what they’re going to say there would be no point in talking to them

5th point: So method is collection of

evidence. What is theory?

Scientific theory

• Gadamer: No understanding can take place without prejudice

•  Prejudice: what we expect to see

Scientific theory

•  Theory is prejudices written down, so they can be discussed and checked

Scientific theory

• Can we write down all our prejudices, i.e. all we know? Of course not. Hence, theory presents a certain perspective, determined by application

Final point: Scientific method is a dialogue

with evidence

Science as dialogue

•  ‘Dialogue’ is a metaphor

Science as dialogue

• Why a metaphor? • Makes is easier to remember, easier to

understand

Science as dialogue

• Why is it a good metaphor? •  In science, as in dialogue, it is important to

‘listen’ to the evidence

Science as dialogue

•  To select a method and stick to it no matter what the observations show is like a person that only talks about himself and asks questions without listening to the answers

Conclusion: Why is this stuff important?

Because it makes your life harder if you’re not aware of

what you’re doing.