Lynch1991c

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Lynch1991c
BibType ARTICLE
Key Lynch1991c
Author(s) Michael Lynch
Title Science in the age of mechanical reproduction: moral and epistemic relations between diagrams and photographs
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Ethnomethodology, Diagrams, Knowledge, Photography, Representation, Science, Sociology
Publisher
Year 1991
Language
City
Month
Journal Biology and Philosophy
Volume 6
Number 2
Pages 155–176
URL Link
DOI 10.1007/BF02426838
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

Sociologists, philosophers and historians of science are gradually recognizing the importance of visual representation. This is part of a more general movement away from a theory-centric view of science and towards an interest in practical aspects of observation and experimentation. Rather than treating science as a matter of demonstrating the logical connection between theoretical and empirical statements, an increasing number of investigations are examining how scientists compose and use diagrams, graphs, photographs, micrographs, maps, charts, and related visual displays. This paper focuses on diagrams in biology, and tries to demonstrate how diagrams are an integral part of the production of scientific knowledge. In order to disclose some of the distinctive practical and analytical uses of diagrams, the paper contrasts the way diagrams and photographs are used in biological texts. Both diagrams and photographs are shown to be “constructions” that separately and together mediate the investigation of scientific phenoman.

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