Abstract
Computer simulations are widely used within the area of building science research. Building science research deals with the physical phenomena that affect buildings, including heat and mass transfer, lighting and acoustic transmission. This wide usage of computer simulations, however, is characterized by a divergence in thought on the composition of an epistemological framework that may provide guidance for their deployment in research. This paper undertakes a fundamental review of the epistemology of computer simulations within the context of the philosophy of science. Thereafter, it reviews the epistemological framework within which computer simulations are used in practice within the area of building science research. A comparison between the insights obtained from the realms of theory and practice is made, which then interrogates the adequacy of the epistemological approaches that have been employed in previously published simulation-based research. These insights may help in informing a normative composition of an adequate epistemological framework within which computer simulation-based building science research may be conducted.
Highlights
Computer simulations are widely used within the area of building science research
The wide usage of computer simulations, is characterized by a divergence in thought on the composition of an epistemological framework that may provide guidance for their deployment in research. This lack of consensus may lead to inconsistent use of computer simulations in building science research, leading to an erosion of trust and confidence in the knowledge that originates from the simulations
In order to obtain insights into the epistemological framework within which computer simulations are used in practice within the realm of building science research, this study undertook a review of scholarly work that has been published in the Journal of Building Performance Simulation
Summary
Computer simulations are widely used within the area of building science research. Building science research deals with the physical phenomena that affect buildings, including heat and mass transfer, lighting and acoustic transmission. The wide usage of computer simulations, is characterized by a divergence in thought on the composition of an epistemological framework that may provide guidance for their deployment in research. This lack of consensus may lead to inconsistent use of computer simulations in building science research, leading to an erosion of trust and confidence in the knowledge that originates from the simulations. This paper seeks to achieve three main objectives It seeks to undertake a fundamental review of the epistemology of computer simulations within the context of the philosophy of science. These insights may help in informing a normative composition of an adequate epistemological framework within which computer simulation-based building science research may be conducted
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