Background and Motivation
Much of the work done by philosophers of science is relevant to scientists, engineers, science policymakers, and even lay publics — yet philosophy’s disciplinary norms and incentive structures often create barriers for philosophers who wish to engage with people outside the discipline. This project used empirical methods to better understand these barriers, how philosophers might overcome them, and the pathways through which philosophers have had an impact in science-related domains.
Phase 1: Citation Analysis
We began by examining citation patterns for publications written by philosophers of science. We looked at which fields tended to cite philosophical work published in philosophy journals and which tended to cite philosophical work published in science journals. In short, we found evidence of disciplinary siloing, where uptake of philosophical work in scientific domains was predominantly based on work published in science journals (and vice versa). Unfortunately, this suggests that philosophers of science who want their work to be taken up within scientific literature need to publish in both philosophy and science venues (McLevey et al. 2018).
Phase 2: Survey of Philosophers of Science
We conducted a survey of 299 philosophers of science regarding their attitudes, experiences, and values with respect to doing broadly engaged work. Our results demonstrate that most philosophers of science think it is important for scientists and policymakers to read and make use of their work, and that many have engaged with communities outside the discipline. Furthermore, many participants endorsed that view that the discipline of philosophy has an obligation to ensure it has broader impacts. This work demonstrates that there is a troublesome tension between what most philosophers of science think is important and the discipline’s current incentive and reward structure, suggesting the need for change (Plaisance et al. 2019).
Phase 3: Interviews with Philosophers of Science
To better understand the specific impacts philosophers of science have had in scientific domains, we interviewed 35 philosophers of science who have engaged with scientists and science policymakers. We identified six themes that capture the types of impacts philosophy-science engagement tends to have. We also found that face-to-face engagement with scientists and other stakeholders is one of the most – if not the most – effective pathways to impact. However, since direct engagement is not aligned with the activities that tend to be encouraged and rewarded in philosophy, we describe strategies for navigating this tension, both at individual and collective levels (Plaisance et al. 2021).
Project collaborators
PI: Katie Plaisance
Collaborators:
- John McLevey (Phase 1, 2, & 3)
- Alexander (Sasha) Graham (Phase 1 & 2)
- Jay Michaud (Phase 2 & 3)
This work was supported by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant.