The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

The mind, the lab, and the field : Three kinds of populations in scientific practice. / Winther, Rasmus Grønfeldt; Giordano, Ryan; Edge, Michael D.; Nielsen, Rasmus.

In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Vol. 52, 01.08.2015, p. 12-21.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Winther, RG, Giordano, R, Edge, MD & Nielsen, R 2015, 'The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, vol. 52, pp. 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009

APA

Winther, R. G., Giordano, R., Edge, M. D., & Nielsen, R. (2015). The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 52, 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009

Vancouver

Winther RG, Giordano R, Edge MD, Nielsen R. The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 2015 Aug 1;52:12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009

Author

Winther, Rasmus Grønfeldt ; Giordano, Ryan ; Edge, Michael D. ; Nielsen, Rasmus. / The mind, the lab, and the field : Three kinds of populations in scientific practice. In: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C :Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 2015 ; Vol. 52. pp. 12-21.

Bibtex

@article{a097b5bff97b4546b9a01e8824f6ea4a,
title = "The mind, the lab, and the field: Three kinds of populations in scientific practice",
abstract = "Scientists use models to understand the natural world, and it is important not to conflate model and nature. As an illustration, we distinguish three different kinds of populations in studies of ecology and evolution: theoretical, laboratory, and natural populations, exemplified by the work of R. A. Fisher, Thomas Park, and David Lack, respectively. Biologists are rightly concerned with all three types of populations. We examine the interplay between these different kinds of populations, and their pertinent models, in three examples: the notion of {"}effective{"} population size, the work of Thomas Park on Tribolium populations, and model-based clustering algorithms such as Structure. Finally, we discuss ways to move safely between three distinct population types while avoiding confusing models and reality.",
keywords = "Ecology, Models, Ontology, Population Genetics, Reification, Statistics",
author = "Winther, {Rasmus Gr{\o}nfeldt} and Ryan Giordano and Edge, {Michael D.} and Rasmus Nielsen",
year = "2015",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009",
language = "English",
volume = "52",
pages = "12--21",
journal = "Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences",
issn = "1369-8486",
publisher = "Pergamon Press",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The mind, the lab, and the field

T2 - Three kinds of populations in scientific practice

AU - Winther, Rasmus Grønfeldt

AU - Giordano, Ryan

AU - Edge, Michael D.

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus

PY - 2015/8/1

Y1 - 2015/8/1

N2 - Scientists use models to understand the natural world, and it is important not to conflate model and nature. As an illustration, we distinguish three different kinds of populations in studies of ecology and evolution: theoretical, laboratory, and natural populations, exemplified by the work of R. A. Fisher, Thomas Park, and David Lack, respectively. Biologists are rightly concerned with all three types of populations. We examine the interplay between these different kinds of populations, and their pertinent models, in three examples: the notion of "effective" population size, the work of Thomas Park on Tribolium populations, and model-based clustering algorithms such as Structure. Finally, we discuss ways to move safely between three distinct population types while avoiding confusing models and reality.

AB - Scientists use models to understand the natural world, and it is important not to conflate model and nature. As an illustration, we distinguish three different kinds of populations in studies of ecology and evolution: theoretical, laboratory, and natural populations, exemplified by the work of R. A. Fisher, Thomas Park, and David Lack, respectively. Biologists are rightly concerned with all three types of populations. We examine the interplay between these different kinds of populations, and their pertinent models, in three examples: the notion of "effective" population size, the work of Thomas Park on Tribolium populations, and model-based clustering algorithms such as Structure. Finally, we discuss ways to move safely between three distinct population types while avoiding confusing models and reality.

KW - Ecology

KW - Models

KW - Ontology

KW - Population Genetics

KW - Reification

KW - Statistics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84938418309&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009

DO - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.01.009

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25753677

AN - SCOPUS:84938418309

VL - 52

SP - 12

EP - 21

JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences

SN - 1369-8486

ER -

ID: 222641978