A Social Epistemological Inquiry into Biases in Journal Peer Review

2017

In this paper, I examine journal peer review by focusing on factors that potentially hamper its sound functioning. I argue that scientific literature is not only skewed by the individual level biases of reviewers acting as gatekeepers, but also by the institutional context in which peer review operates. I show that peer review and its efficacy in improving the quality of published work should not be evaluated without heeding the different forms of academic publishing and the role that publishing plays in academic career development.

Meta-Analysis, Ideals of Objectivity, and the Reliability of Medical Knowledge

2015

This paper focuses on the ideals of scientific objectivity as they emerge in discussions concerning meta-analyses and medical research. Stegenga (2011) has argued that meta-analyses fail to be objective because conducting them involves making judgments. I show that his reasoning is based on the so-called procedural ideal of objectivity, which can be questioned: this ideal is unattainable and does not capture some of the problematic issues of medical research. By introducing a case in research on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, I demonstrate why the so-called social view on objectivity succeeds better in accommodating 1) the way in which scientific research necessarily involves judg…

Longino’s Theory of Objectivity and Commercialized Research

2015

In this paper, I shall examine Helen Longino’s view on the objectivity of science and study how it can be applied to the evaluation of current scientific practices. By discussing two prominent cases in biomedical research, I articulate some epistemically alarming features of commercialized research and highlight the importance of paying attention to the context of scientific inquiry. In addition, I claim that the examined cases can help uncover philosophically interesting empirical work on extra-scientific mechanisms influencing research practices.

Yhteisöllinen objektiivisuus : tiedon kohtalo Helen E. Longinon teoriassa

2009

Tieteen objektiivisuuden ehdoista

2016

Jyväskylässä 5.9.2015 pidetty Lectio Praecursoria.

On the conditions for objectivity : how to avoid bias in socially relevant research

2015

Kysymyksen valta ja vastauksen vastuu : haastattelussa Helen Longino

2013

Lattiapaikkoja myöten täysi salillinen pääsi kuuntelemaan tieteenfilosofi Helen Longinon (s. 1944) luentoa keväällä Turun yliopistolla. Stanfordin yliopiston filosofian professori Longino tunnetaan sosiaalisen epistemologian uranuurtajana. Teoksissaan hän on selvittänyt, miten tutkimuksen sosiaalinen konteksti vaikuttaa tuotettuun tietoon. Hän on rakentanut siltaa perinteisen tieteenfilosofian ja tieteensosiologian välillä. Turussa professori Longino puhui tuoreesta kirjastaan Studying Human Behavior. How Scientists Investigate Aggression and Sexuality (2013). Hän näkee etenkin erityistieteiden filosofian tulevaisuuden valoisana: ”Filosofit ovat entistä kiinnostuneempia tieteeseen liittyvis…