Methods and Technical Research Tools

What is the relationship between methods and technical research tools?

Knowledge concerning technical tools takes the forms of accepted beliefs of the kind "telescopes are useful tools for examining distant celestial bodies" or "polling is a useful technique for assessing public opinion". This in turn leads to the employment of respective methods, such as "data on distant celestial bodies is acceptable if it is obtained by a telescope" or "x represents public opinion on a certain topic if the results are obtained through polling". This in turn leads to the usage of the respective techniques in practice. However, is it at all possible for a research technique to be used independently of any method?

In the scientonomic context, this question was first formulated by Paul Patton in 2016. The question is currently accepted as a legitimate topic for discussion by Scientonomy community.

In Scientonomy, the accepted answer to the question is:

• Propositional technological knowledge can be accepted and be part of a mosaic.

Scientonomic History

Acceptance Record

Here is the complete acceptance record of this question (it includes all the instances when the question was accepted as a legitimate topic for discussion by a community):

Community	Accepted From	Acceptance Indicators	Still Accepted	Accepted Until	Rejection Indicators
Scientonomy	1 April 2016	It was acknowledged as an open question by the Scientonomy Seminar 2016.	Yes

All Theories

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Accepted Theories

According to our records, no theory on this topic has ever been accepted.

Suggested Modifications

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Current View

In Scientonomy, the accepted answer to the question is Technological Knowledge as Part of Mosaic (Mirkin-2018).

Status of Technological Knowledge

Technological Knowledge as Part of Mosaic (Mirkin-2018) states: "Propositional technological knowledge can be accepted and be part of a mosaic."

There is accepted propositional technological knowledge which appears to exhibit the same patterns of change as questions, theories, and methods in the natural, social, and formal sciences. Technological theories attempting to describe the construction and operation of artifacts as well as to prescribe their correct mode of operation are not merely used, but also often accepted by epistemic agents. Since technology often involves methods different from those found in science and produces normative propositions, many of which remain tacit, one may be tempted to think that changes in technological knowledge should be somehow exempt from the laws of scientific change. Yet, the discussion of the historical cases of sorting algorithms, telescopes, crop rotation, and colorectal cancer surgeries show that technological theories and methods are often an integral part of an epistemic agent’s mosaic and seem to exhibit the same scientonomic patterns of change typical of accepted theories therein. Thus, propositional technological knowledge can be part of a mosaic.

Related Topics

This question is a subquestion of Status of Technological Knowledge.