Autonomous Science Research Articles

Risks of competing discourses of scientific responsibility in global ocean futures

Accelerated innovation in climate-impacted oceans is outpacing standards of scientific responsibility. Standards of responsibility are critical because they shape research agendas, funding flows, scientific practice, and how innovations are regulated. Here, we examine responsibility debates among 243 marine scientists and end-users proposing, trialling and/or implementing 76 innovations for climate-impacted oceans. We identify three distinct discourses: ‘science outside society’, ‘science for society’ and ‘science with society’. Competition within and across these discourses reveals heightened tensions between the need to protect scientific autonomy and freedom, and moral duty to ensure socially just and desirable ocean futures. Without thorough debate and oversight, the wide-reaching power of such unresolved tensions could propel marine science and ocean futures into volatile ethical and moral territory. Better connection and articulation of standards of responsibility with scientific motivations, practices, and funding are key to ensuring the transparency and accountability required to progress equitable and sustainable oceans.

Responsive Research and Scientific Autonomy

Von Schomberg’s call to place mutual responsiveness – which I understand as the ability of researchers and the research system as a whole to foster meaningful exchanges and learn from novel experiences, no matter where those originate – at the core of Open Science and related efforts to reform the scientific landscape is both timely and significant. Widespread sharing is not enough to guarantee responsible and inclusive research, nor are vague appeals to improve research culture, whatever it is that such culture may turn out to include (Leonelli, 2023). Rather, emphasis needs to be placed on the conditions under which sharing materials, methods and insights – and debating the goals and directions towards which these may be put to use – may improve research exchange, communication and scrutiny, resulting in scientific outputs that are both reliable and socially responsive. Hence von Schomberg’s focus on the interplay between institutional and behavioural features of science and his plea for a reform in governance structures, such as initiated by COARA, are very well-taken. He is, however, too quick to dismiss the importance of some degree of autonomy for those involved in creating knowledge. To show why this matters, I here briefly discuss two of von Schomberg’s additional claims: (1) his focus on ‘knowledge actors’ as the protagonists of research efforts; and (2) his critique of the effectiveness of self-governance efforts by researchers.

Scientificity before Scientism: The Invention of Cultural Research in German Studies of Antiquity 1800–1850

This paper examines how scholars of Greek and Roman antiquity in the German-speaking territories in the first half of the nineteenth century define scientificity (Wissenschaftlichkeit). I will argue that antiquity studies in this period of its foundation as a discipline is an instructive case to examine with regard to questions as to how scientific knowledge is established as different from other forms of knowledge, how scientific fields establish relative autonomy from other fields and what forms scientific autonomy can take. Widely recognised as important for the history of the modern research university, the case is not only interesting because it is influential. It is also interesting because the discussions in this period are so different to discussions in the later nineteenth century in the social sciences and the humanities, which have shaped debates about scientificity in sociology and cognate disciplines: We find here a notion of social and cultural research as a scientific endeavour, discussed not primarily with reference to or in defence against the natural sciences, but rather defined against imitative learning and the expectation that research provide moral support for the emerging Germany by idealizing the Greeks. The case highlights moralization as a source of heteronomy in cultural fields in addition to the more widely discussed forces of the market and the influence of the state.

Psychology as a Science of the Soul: Evangelos Christou's The Logos of the Soul (1963).

After Evangelos Christou (1923-1956) studied philosophy at King's College, Cambridge, with Wittgenstein and others, he earned a doctorate at the Jung Institute in Zürich. He then returned home to Alexandria, near which he died in a car crash. The Logos of the Soul, published posthumously, argued for a psychology that would be neither a natural scientific psychology, devoted to causal analyses, nor a philosophical discipline that analysed mental events. Psychology would be an autonomous science of the soul, an unknown distinct from body and mind. Science deals with bodies and behaviours; philosophy with the mental concepts and acts. Psychology deals with "psychological experience". Dreams and fantasies can be sources of psychological experience, but so can perceptual acts and mental acts. Meaning occurs when something encounters an ego or self in a psychological experience. Observation in psychology is participant observation, akin to witnessing of a drama. Psychological methods, such as psychotherapy, are both means of discovery and means of becoming. Christou's work brought together Jung's analytical psychology and mid-century British philosophy in order to stake out the ground for psychology that would be an empirical analysis of psychological experience and a logical analysis of the concepts used in that psychology.

Field science and scientific collaboration in the Svalbard Archipelago: beyond science diplomacy

Abstract The presence of non-Arctic and non-European countries in the Arctic has been growing over the past two decades. Given the geographic distance of these countries from the polar region, their presence in the High North may seem surprising. In this article, we study the presence in Svalbard of scientists from different origins and how they interact through an analysis of the field missions in which they are involved. Combining network analysis and interviews, we highlight the role of the stations located in the archipelago for access to the field and the cooperation strategies of scientists, including those from countries that do not have stations above the Arctic Circle. We tackle issues of integration in this area by empirically discussing three logics: (1) scientific autonomy, (2) core-periphery structure, and (3) regional patterns of cooperation, thus going beyond an approach strictly limited to the analysis of science diplomacy policies.

Losing the Forest for the Tree: Why All Thomists Should (Not) Be River Forest Thomists

One of the most influential and controversial schools of 20th century Thomism—especially in North America—is the “River Forest School” or “River Forest Thomism”. And one of the most influential and controversial theses associated with that school is the thesis that metaphysics cannot be established as a distinct and autonomous science unless one has already proven the existence of a positively immaterial being. The purpose of this paper is to show that River Forest Thomism cannot and should not be reduced to that controversial thesis. As such, rejection of the thesis cannot and should not constitute a rejection of the school. Indeed, as soon as we understand what River Forest Thomism was really about, it will become clear that all Thomists should be River Forest Thomists.

Sociology and Sociological Education in Italy Between Universities and Upper Secondary Schools

AbstractSociology was first introduced to Italy in 1961, when Franco Ferrarotti became the first tenure track professor in 1960 at Rome’s Sapienza University. The Institute of Sociology was founded in the 1963/1964 academic year, and in 1962, the first Faculty of Sociology was established at the University of Trento. The process of formation is rather late when considering both the development of sociology as an autonomous science and the historical evolution of the various European universities. Sociology is now widely recognised as a discipline in Italy and is taught at universities as part of both bachelor’s and master's degree programmes, as well as in high schools (known as secondary schools of first level) for students aged 14 to 18/19. This work presents the development of sociology in Italy and its formation. Beginning with the development of sociology, it provides a historical analysis of its scientific recognition, role within the social system, and evolution as a science and association. It then explores the disciplin’s place in the Italian university educational system, analyzing its changes over the years. Finally, it discusses the formation of sociology within schools.

“It is controlling, but you don’t really care.” Researchers’ perceptions of legitimation of research policy

Abstract Starting from the tension between scientific autonomy and state governing in research policy, the aim of this article is to examine how researchers who apply for funding in Sweden perceive the legitimate grounds for a new research policy in which sex and gender perspectives are integrated as criteria in assessing scientific quality. Our results show that researcher’s perception of themselves, and of the purpose of research, is compatible with dominant ideals in contemporary academic landscape, where knowledge is treated as a deliverable to external stakeholders or to meet politically formulated goals. However, according to researchers, the legitimate sources of policy influence originate from their own profession or the common interest of the people, explicitly expressed by citizens. Researchers are questioning, and find strategies to avoid, top-down state governing.

Straightening the ‘value-laden turn’: minimising the influence of extra-scientific values in science

Straightening the current ‘value-laden turn’ (VLT) in the philosophical literature on values in science, and reviving the legacy of the value-free ideal of science (VFI), this paper argues that the influence of extra-scientific values should be minimised—not excluded—in the core phase of scientific inquiry where claims are accepted or rejected. Noting that the original arguments for the VFI (ensuring the truth of scientific knowledge, respecting the autonomy of science results users, preserving public trust in science) have not been satisfactorily addressed by proponents of the VLT, it proposes four prerequisites which any model for values in the acceptance/rejection phase of scientific inquiry should respect, coming from the fundamental requirement to distinguish between facts and values: (1) the truth of scientific knowledge must be ensured; (2) the uncertainties associated with scientific claims must be stated clearly; (3) claims accepted into the scientific corpus must be distinguished from claims taken as a basis for action. An additional prerequisite of (4) simplicity and systematicity is desirable, if the model is to be applicable. Methodological documents from international institutions and regulation agencies are used to illustrate the prerequisites. A model combining Betz’s conception (stating uncertainties associated with scientific claims) and Hansson’s corpus model (ensuring the truth of the scientific corpus and distinguishing it from other claims taken as a basis for action) is proposed. Additional prerequisites are finally suggested for future research, stemming from the requirement for philosophy of science to self-reflect on its own values: (5) any model for values in science must be descriptively and normatively relevant; and (6) its consequences must be thoroughly assessed.

Biotechnological sovereignty is not a mere nationalist concept, it is a necessity for Colombia and Latin America.

During the pandemic, Latin American countries suffered the collapse of their health systems. This was caused by the high demand for care of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, which was added to the care of patients with other diseases. The significant increase in demand for health services caused medical and laboratory supplies to decline rapidly. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a health crisis in several developing countries, mainly caused by insufficient systematic policies for integrating scientific knowledge. The current Colombian government must formulate a Biotechnological or Biosecurity Sovereignty Law that guarantees scientific autonomy, ensuring that Colombia is self-sufficient in Science, Technology, and Innovation. Colombian government should also focus on establishing and developing pharmaceutical chemical production by acquiring active chemical ingredients from other countries. This strategy could reduce the production costs and final prices of medicines, as well as generate high-level employment and wealth for the country. In this way, the Colombian government could prevent shortage of essential medicines and excessive price increases by commercial intermediation. In conclusion, the manuscript focuses on the lack of biotechnological sovereignty in Colombia. We propose a model of a Latin American Science and Technology ecosystem to achieve biotechnological sovereignty via state funding of research, strengthening universities, and fostering participation among private companies and Ministries of Science, Education, Trade, and Health. Scientific autonomy based on innovative processes that strengthen biotechnological independence can contribute to the economy by generating gross added value, creating high-quality employment, and facilitating the appropriation and social dissemination of knowledge, and cost reduction.

Student Perceptions of Academic Forum Freedom and Lecturer Scientific Autonomy on the Riau University Campus

This research is motivated by the many violations against academic freedom and campus autonomy. The problem formulation and research objectives are to explore student perceptions regarding academic freedom of speech and lecturers' intellectual autonomy. The benefits of this research include contributing knowledge to the understanding of academic freedom of speech and intellectual autonomy of lecturers. The method used is descriptive qualitative using percentages. The data collection instrument consists of questionnaires and interviews, consisting of 12 statements. The research population includes all students at Riau University. Sampling was carried out using Quota Sampling technique, with researchers giving a quota of 10 people per faculty at Riau University. Respondents, consisting of 10 people per faculty, were determined to use techniq. Accidental sampling. Sampling. The research results show that the average percentage value of respondents' alternative answers dominates at 96.83%, which indicates the "very good" category in the range of 75.01%-100%. Thus, it can be concluded that Riau University students' perceptions of academic platform freedom and lecturer autonomy are at the "very good" level.

Restoring What Never Existed: The Role of Familism in Narratives of Return in Hungary

This study seeks to provide insight into the mechanisms of familism in the landscapes of Hungarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), public and higher education, and academia. By contextualizing the growing importance of familism as a governing ideology and an effective political tool used by the current government, aiming to offer an alternative to the insecurities rooted in economic restructuring and cultural transformation in eastern Europe in the last few decades, we show how “academic familism” and “NGO-familism,” often intertwined, reproduce the ideological underpinnings of the Hungarian neoliberal gender regime. The article’s novelty is in, first, revealing how recent institutionalization tendencies show that Hungarian academia, especially in the social sciences, is shifting to reproduce and legitimize familism, risking the autonomy of science even in the short term. Second, the study highlights the fact that besides some government-friendly NGOs dedicated to promoting familism, the ideology of the importance of families is strengthened even by some bottom-up civil organizations that campaign for a more inclusive family concept as a reaction to the government’s idealization of nuclear, heterosexual, and marriage-based family formations.

Sociocultural Context, Reference Scholars and Contradictions in the Origin and Development of Sociology in Italy

AbstractThe beginnings of sociology in Italy correspond more or less to those of the birth of sociology as an autonomous science in France by Durkheim (considered the founding father of the discipline except for the term that, as is well known, was coined by Comte). Its origins, therefore, can be traced back to the second half of the 19th century and its development substantially follows the socio-political development of Italy, which can be substantially divided into three historical phases (the Savoy monarchy between 1861 and 1922; the authoritarian fascist regime with totalitarian characteristics between 1922 and 1943, and the period of the democratic republic from 1946 onwards can be considered as the “rebirth” not only of Italy but also of sociology). This article aims to outline these phases through an in-depth examination of some of the Italian sociologists who, in the different phases (up to our contemporary times), have had greater relevance and influence, even outside the Italian context.

Towards a Political Ecology of Knowledge: Reconnecting with the Legacy of Radical Science Movements

In this essay we discuss the legacy of the 1970s French radical science movement (FRSM) and the way they influence contemporary collective inquiries and personal commitments concerning different forms of knowledge production. Among other things, The FRSM explored new ways of knowledge production, inside and outside of academic institutions. However, due to the institutionalization of those critiques and their foundational function for disciplines like STS, their legacy has gradually become forgotten. The current renewal of critiques of science since the 2000s allows for a reconnection with this particular history. We show that even if many of them were more interested in a return to an ideal autonomous science, they often also underline the fact that precariousness constitutes a condition that reveals what really counts in science and knowledge. We claim that in this way those critiques help us seriously consider the living and dead aspects of science and, consequently, how to protect or undo them. Critical approaches that consider actual asymmetries and precariousness could become the basis for a political ecology of knowledge.

What is the Best Definition for (Bio)Analytical Chemistry?

One of the simplest definitions for analytical chemistry is “the branch of chemistry concerned with analysis.”1 But what does "analysis" really mean? In the past it was synonymous for decomposition. However, with the rise of new technologies, it is no longer necessary to destroy samples to know their composition. Therefore, the current meaning of analysis refers to the identification and quantification of different analytes without the need for decomposition. However, analytical chemists do not merely provide results; they also develop strategies to measure different chemical properties. Furthermore, they spend an enormous amount of time interpreting the obtained data. Thus, considering the vast variety of works involving analytical chemistry, a more comprehensive definition of the discipline is required. Analytical chemistry was defined in the second half of the 20th century as “the chemical discipline that gains information on the chemical composition and structure of substances, particularly on the type of species, their amount, possible temporal and spatial changes, and structural relationships between the constituents.”2 In 1993, the Working Party on Analytical Chemistry (WPAC) of the Federation of European Chemical Societies (FECS) defined analytical chemistry as “a scientific discipline that develops and applies methods, instruments, and strategies to obtain information on the composition and nature of matter in space and time,” indicating that the development of methods and instruments is a central part of this science.3 However, some analytical chemists consider that this sort of definition does not entirely reflect the identity and wide scope of analytical chemistry. In the year 2000, Professor Miguel Valcárcel proposed a more comprehensive definition for analytical chemistry as “a metrological science that develops, optimizes and applies material, methodological and strategic tools of widely variable nature which materialize in measurement processes intended to derive quality (bio)chemical information of both partial [presence or concentration of bio(chemical) analyte species] and global nature on materials or systems of widely variable nature (chemical, biochemical and biological) in space and time in order to solve scientific, technical and social problems.”4 This constitutes a very encompassing definition because it includes more complete information that contributes to a deeper characterization and understanding of the discipline, while highlighting the different capabilities and approaches as well as some of the challenges. So, many definitions can be found in the literature. The truth is that while some definitions express essential aspects of (bio)analytical chemistry and the analytical work, others characterize it in a very concise way. Furthermore, while some authors consider it to be a branch of chemistry independent of other chemical disciplines, others classify it as an autonomous science called analytical sciences.4 The important thing is the agreement in the description of the discipline, for example, to obtain information on matter via representative samples; the inclusion of structural information; and the vital role to address important scientific, economic, and social problems. In the present era, (bio)analytical chemistry boasts an extensive array of methods, techniques, and equipment at its command, enabling it to skillfully orchestrate its instrumental repertoire. As a result, the diverse spectrum of capabilities that (bio)analytical chemistry can attain is remarkably broad. The Uruguayan (bio)analytical chemistry scene is no stranger to this continuous change and redefinition. In this regard, BrJAC organized a special issue dedicated to the 7th Uruguayan Congress of Analytical Chemistry (CUQA 7), aiming to celebrate the work of all its participants. This issue contains an Interview with Dr. Manuel Miró from the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain), a Point of View written by Dr. Mariela Pistón from Universidad de la República (Uruguay), and a Letter authored by Dr. Ignacio Machado from Universidad de la República (Uruguay). The special issue also features four Articles and two Technical Notes authored by some of the participants. It is imperative to thank all of the reviewers who have participated in this process by giving their time and expertise to evaluate the manuscripts. I hope you enjoy reading about this exciting work within the field of (bio)analytical chemistry.

The DECAY of Merton’s scientific norms and the new academic ethos

ABSTRACT This article provides a conceptual reformulation of Merton’s scientific ethos widely known by the acronym CUDOS (i.e. communism, universalism, disinterestedness and organised scepticism). While Merton perceived the threat to the autonomy of science as coming from outside the walls of academe, mainly in the form of nationalism and racism, the subsequent rise of neoliberalism and global market forces means that the scientific ethos is being undermined largely from within the university itself, leading to the DECAY (i.e. differentialism, egoism, capitalism and advocacy) of CUDOS. The STEM-ification of the humanities and social sciences academic community has led to the rise of a post-academic ethos. This manifests itself in professional pragmatism with academics facing both ways at the same time by remaining largely committed to Mertonian norms in theory but needing to adapt to the performative demands of DECAY as a new set of institutional norms that prevails in practice.

The forensic´s scientist craft: towards an integrative theory. Part 1: microapproach

ABSTRACT Defining the nature of forensic science and criminalistics is a topic that has been vigorously revisited in international literature. At the core of this discussion is the demarcation of principles that would characterize forensic science as an autonomous science, with its methods. The concept of theoretical synthesis as elaborated by Walker and Avant (2011) was adopted. In this theoretical model, concepts and principles are organized in a coherent and integrated way. In this first paper, the theory synthesis was elaborated from basic concepts and practices related to the work of the forensic scientist. Basically, the procedures for searching and collecting traces and the analytical methods of identification and individualization of traces. The theory synthesis was mainly developed based on: a) the reasoning method adopted in cognitive operations by forensic scientists; b) the way of obtaining information and interpreting phenomena from observation of facts and traces; c) how forensic scientists perform their investigations, analysis or synthesis from evidence and its main practical limitations. In short, the proposed theory synthesis reinforces the idea that forensic science is a specific science, capable not only of applying technologies and using scientific methods but also of producing knowledge inherent to its performance and scope.

Psychology: the science of human behavior

In this text we will reflect on psychology as a scientific discipline focused on mind and behavior, which initially diverged from philosophy and medicine and has made a long process of recognition as an autonomous science. Since the 19th century, with Wilhelm Wundt and Edward Titchener, William James, John Dewey to the famous Thorndike as main pioneers. Thorndike discovered a premise so important in psychology and applicable to so many human behaviors which is the fact that a stimulus tends to produce a certain response over time, if a given organism is rewarded for that response. Introducing Psychology as a science at the service of humanity in the 21st century is one of the goals of this text. It will reflect on the importance of constructivist paradigms and narrative and the perception of psychotherapeutic reality as a multiverse perspective.

Exploratory data analysis (EDA) machine learning approaches for ocean world analog mass spectrometry

Many upcoming and proposed missions to ocean worlds such as Europa, Enceladus, and Titan aim to evaluate their habitability and the existence of potential life on these moons. These missions will suffer from communication challenges and technology limitations. We review and investigate the applicability of data science and unsupervised machine learning (ML) techniques on isotope ratio mass spectrometry data (IRMS) from volatile laboratory analogs of Europa and Enceladus seawaters as a case study for development of new strategies for icy ocean world missions. Our driving science goal is to determine whether the mass spectra of volatile gases could contain information about the composition of the seawater and potential biosignatures. We implement data science and ML techniques to investigate what inherent information the spectra contain and determine whether a data science pipeline could be designed to quickly analyze data from future ocean worlds missions. In this study, we focus on the exploratory data analysis (EDA) step in the analytics pipeline. This is a crucial unsupervised learning step that allows us to understand the data in depth before subsequent steps such as predictive/supervised learning. EDA identifies and characterizes recurring patterns, significant correlation structure, and helps determine which variables are redundant and which contribute to significant variation in the lower dimensional space. In addition, EDA helps to identify irregularities such as outliers that might be due to poor data quality. We compared dimensionality reduction methods Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for transforming our data from a high-dimensional space to a lower dimension, and we compared clustering algorithms for identifying data-driven groups (“clusters”) in the ocean worlds analog IRMS data and mapping these clusters to experimental conditions such as seawater composition and CO2 concentration. Such data analysis and characterization efforts are the first steps toward the longer-term science autonomy goal where similar automated ML tools could be used onboard a spacecraft to prioritize data transmissions for bandwidth-limited outer Solar System missions.

Wissenschaftliche Episteme und Geltung. Von der Konstruktion zum Dialog

Abstract. The long triumph of constructivism, particularly visible works such as Kuhn's writing on the structure of scientific revolutions, and many other scientific studies have made one thing clear: Reason alone does not decide on scientific topics, theories, and methods. Instead, very different factors, often considered illegitimate, help determine the course of science. These findings make scientific enlightenment gestures recurrently appear as sheer mockery, undermine the validity claims of scientific statements, open up possibilities for a strong politicisation of science and block any retrograde way out. Those who are nevertheless convinced of the importance of scientific autonomy, who defend a special validity of scientific knowledge and who accept the scientific duty of responsiveness, should acknowledge the decision-making challenges in science and, as the article recommends, engage in theory-theoretical dialogues.