Scientific Representation Research Articles

Лексикографическая репрезентация терминов «текст» и «дискурс»

The purpose of the study is a comprehensive presentation of the modern lexicographic scientific representation of the terms “discourse” and “text” in dictionary works reflecting linguistic terminology published in the Russian Federation at the end of the 20th – 21st centuries. Close attention is paid to identifying bibliographic article-by-article lists in dictionary entries. The paper provides a comparative analysis of lexicographic texts, which includes consideration of not only the definitions of the terms “discourse” and “text”, but also the definition of the specificity of dictionary entries in general, for example, an increased information level presented in various types of secondary information (review, bibliographic list, etc.). The frequency of inclusion of etymological reference and translation into other languages are determined. The scientific novelty of the research consists in a comprehensive review of dictionary entries devoted to these terms and a schematic visualization of scientific knowledge fixed lexicographically. As a result, it is proved that the conducted analysis indicates a multifaceted and continuous scientific understanding of these terms by scientists.

The Language of Infographics: Toward Understanding Conceptual Metaphor Use in Scientific Storytelling.

We apply an approach from cognitive linguistics by mapping Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to the visualization domain to address patterns of visual conceptual metaphors that are often used in science infographics. Metaphors play an essential part in visual communication and are frequently employed to explain complex concepts. However, their use is often based on intuition, rather than following a formal process. At present, we lack tools and language for understanding and describing metaphor use in visualization to the extent where taxonomy and grammar could guide the creation of visual components, e.g., infographics. Our classification of the visual conceptual mappings within scientific representations is based on the breakdown of visual components in existing scientific infographics. We demonstrate the development of this mapping through a detailed analysis of data collected from four domains (biomedicine, climate, space, and anthropology) that represent a diverse range of visual conceptual metaphors used in the visual communication of science. This work allows us to identify patterns of visual conceptual metaphor use within the domains, resolve ambiguities about why specific conceptual metaphors are used, and develop a better overall understanding of visual metaphor use in scientific infographics. Our analysis shows that ontological and orientational conceptual metaphors are the most widely applied to translate complex scientific concepts. To support our findings we developed a visual exploratory tool based on the collected database that places the individual infographics on a spatio-temporal scale and illustrates the breakdown of visual conceptual metaphors.

Plurality and identity: on the educational relations between chemistry and physics

We present an approach to the question of the educational relations between chemistry and physics based on the one hand, on an inferentialist account of scientific representation (Suárez M., (2024), Inference and Representation. A Study in Modelling Science, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press). On the other, we have drawn on the notion of science identities, as is currently used in science education. We argue that the representational practices of chemistry are the key competencies for the development of a chemistry identity. We extrapolate this conclusion to physics. The problem of representational plurality, that is, that some objects can be represented divergently in these sciences is thus linked to that of identity plurality, to the question of whether it is possible for a person to simultaneously hold a chemistry and a physics identity. We study the educational implications of this situation within the framework of Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural pedagogy to conclude that the difficulties inherent to representational plurality in chemistry and physics are sociological: university degrees are built around a single, well-defined, identity, thus tending to exclude any form of plurality that compromises this uniformity. As an application of these conclusions, we have studied the question of the introduction of the quantum description of molecules in chemistry education at an undergraduate level. We conclude that this introduction should not be based on the molecular orbitals approach but, instead, on the valence bond method.

THE CRITICAL YET OVERLOOKED SPATIAL COMPETENCE IN LEARNING ASTRONOMY: DECODING SEMANTIC SPATIAL INFORMATION IN PICTURES

This study examined the impact of spatial ability on science achievement by distinguishing between domain-general and domain-specific spatial abilities, focusing on their relationship with the conceptual understanding of the apparent path of the sun. Additionally, the mediating effects of domain-specific spatial knowledge on the relationships between spatial ability and science achievement were tested. A mixed-methods design was used. Forty university students participated. Mental rotation and astronomical drawing tests were used to evaluate their general spatial ability and science achievement. The domain-specific spatial knowledge used in solving astronomical drawing tests was ascertained via interviews and analyzed, with results presented as static-type semantic spatial propositions and dynamic-type spatial skills. The results demonstrated an overlap between general spatial ability and domain-specific spatial knowledge, challenging the traditional dichotomy between them. Furthermore, domain-specific spatial knowledge fully mediated the relationship between general spatial ability and science achievement. These findings have significant implications for astronomy education, highlighting the importance of domain-specific spatial competence over general ability in solving domain problems and underscoring the need for explicit instruction in the decoding of semantic spatial information in pictorial representations, which is often overlooked in studies focusing on spatial skills training or the surface characteristics of scientific representations. Keywords: spatial ability, domain generality, domain specificity, semantic spatial knowledge, astronomy education

The unfeasibility of onto-representationalism

Much effort has been devoted to explaining in what sense models represent their corresponding target systems. This has been considered a pivotal philosophical problem since representational models have been widely assumed to canalize our knowledge and understanding of reality. The aim of the paper is to analytically structure the framework commonly adopted to address the Scientific Representation Problem (SR-P), i.e., onto-representationalism, and to examine its main problems. Due to its very theoretical conditions, I conclude that onto-representationalism constitutes an inadequate meta-scientific platform to approach SR-P. I locate the problem in the semantic assumption. To materialize these analyses, I examine the main arguments proposed by the main variants of onto-representationalism: classical onto-representationalism and sophisticated onto-representationalism.

Against Pritchard's refutation of epistemic relativism

Much effort has been devoted to explaining in what sense models represent their corresponding target systems. This has been considered a pivotal philosophical problem since representational models have been widely assumed to canalize our knowledge and understanding of reality. The aim of the paper is to analytically structure the framework commonly adopted to address the Scientific Representation Problem (SR-P), i.e., onto-representationalism, and to examine its main problems. Due to its very theoretical conditions, I conclude that onto-representationalism constitutes an inadequate meta-scientific platform to approach SR-P. I locate the problem in the semantic assumption. To materialize these analyses, I examine the main arguments proposed by the main variants of onto-representationalism: classical onto-representationalism and sophisticated onto-representationalism.

Scientific images from the history of science to primary education: Insights from historiographic research on the visual history of science for the compilation of primary school science textbooks

Since 2008, the author of this paper has conducted historiographic research on the visual history of science in the West since the mid-twentieth century. The findings show that the cognitive functions of visual scientific representations in the history of science are connected with theories of knowledge development in dialectical materialist epistemology and theories on children's cognitive features at different ages in developmental psychology, as well as the stage-specific curriculum objectives outlined in the Compulsory Education Science Curriculum Standards (2022 Edition). These insights provide essential inspiration and theoretical support for the establishment of the twin-theme logical structure in the Primary School Science Textbooks (Daxiang Edition)—core competencies as the warp and cognitive development as the weft—and for the intentional cultivation of students’ cognitive abilities using scientific images across different learning stages and textbooks.

Re-imagining the use of integrated assessment models from a social science perspective—lessons from the Sustainable Development Pathways (SDP)

Abstract Socio-political factors in Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs), and their scenario narratives often lack transparency for policymakers and interdisciplinary scholars. As these tools increasingly support sustainable development goals, their assumptions and methodologies require scrutiny, particularly from social scientists. We address critiques of climate isolationism, overemphasis on technological transitions, and insufficient inter- and transdisciplinarity, advocating for robust interdisciplinary integration and clearer methodological transparency. Our recommendations stem from expert interviews and over 200 stakeholders across 30 countries from 2019 to 2024, emphasizing the need for cohesive theory and comprehensive social science engagement to refine these critical tools.
Our main case study uses a new scenario set, the Sustainable Development Pathways (SDPs), that made substantial efforts to address social sciences critiques. The SDPs consist of both narratives and IAM-quantified target-seeking scenarios that are supported by social science concepts and theories to ensure not only theoretical coherence, but also their credibility among policymakers. As such tools are increasingly used to facilitate policies and actions for sustainability transformation, questions are raised about how they can effectively represent the complexities behind the current polycrisis that is marked by the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, economic inequality and social injustice. 
The paper concludes by reflecting on the remaining challenges and open questions related to the role of exogenous sociopolitical factors, the potential for scenarios to transcend political ideologies, and the need for ongoing adaptation of SDPs to reflect the dynamic global context. It calls for continued engagement and exploration of these issues to ensure the scientific representation of sustainable and equitable futures.

Rethinking the undergraduate textbook as a tool to build a diverse community of ecologists

Recruitment and retention of a diverse scientific workforce depends on a more inclusive culture of science. Textbooks introduce prospective scientists to their chosen field and convey its cultural norms. We use ecology textbook data spanning two decades and document little change in representation of scientists during that time. Despite decades of multifaceted efforts to increase diversity in ecology, 91% of founders/innovators and 76% of working scientists introduced in textbooks were white men, poorly matching the demographics of scientists currently publishing in ecology. Textbook images depicted white men working as scientists, while women and people of color were frequently shown as nonscientists. Moreover, textbooks lack discussion of how science and society shape each other. Pathways to increase retention and sense of belonging for individuals from historically excluded groups include updating textbooks to accurately represent the scientists active in the field, contextualizing historical constraints on participation, and revealing how culture shapes scientific investigations.

Representational Pluralism in Science Education

AbstractThis essay analyses the theme of representational pluralism in science education and a possible interpretation through the inferential-pragmatic conception of scientific representations. A brief description of two principal conceptions of scientific representations (the semantic-structural and the inferential-pragmatic conceptions) and their implications for unicity and plurality are presented to compare how those philosophical approaches can help understand representational plurality in science education. Subsequently, a brief analysis of different topics of science education is made to determine relevant classes of representational plurality in science education: Plurality and coexistence of representations in subjects in a school context; plurality in diverse cultural contexts; plurality by approaches and methods of research; plurality and perspectivism. In the discussion and conclusions, those classes of representational plurality are analysed from the inferential conception of representations, and themes such as proliferation, reduction, normativity, and building in plurality are discussed. The conclusions point to the understanding that representational plurality is not a subject’s deviation from the norm of scientific and school representations; instead, it is inherent to the subjects’ construction of representations, individually and collectively. Certainly, this implies that the separation from the semantic-structural approach of scientific representations must be accomplished by cancelling any similarity condition for representations. Plural representations imply that teaching requires the construction of new scenarios for students to consider the intentionality of representations and interpret them more coherently with the expectations of scientific disciplines in diverse cultural contexts.

Using multiple, dynamically linked representations to develop representational competency and conceptual understanding of the earthquake cycle

Using computational methods to produce and interpret multiple scientific representations is now a common practice in many science disciplines. Research has shown students have difficulty in moving across, connecting, and sensemaking from multiple representations. There is a need to develop task-specific representational competencies for students to reason and conduct scientific investigations using multiple representations. In this study, we focus on three representational competencies: 1) linking between representations, 2) disciplinary sensemaking from multiple representations, and 3) conceptualizing domain-relevant content derived from multiple representations. We developed a block code-based computational modeling environment with three different representations and embedded it within an online activity for students to carry out investigations around the earthquake cycle. The three representations include a procedural representation of block codes, a geometric representation of land deformation build-up, and a graphical representation of deformation build-up over time. We examined the extent of students' representational competencies and which competencies are most correlated with students’ future performance in a computationally supported geoscience investigation. Results indicate that a majority of the 431 students showed at least some form of representational competence. However, a relatively small number of students showed sophisticated levels of linking, sensemaking, and conceptualizing from the representations. Five of seven representational competencies, the most prominent being code sensemaking (η2 = 0.053, p < 0.001), were significantly correlated to student performance on a summative geoscience investigation.

Translation at Work in Climate Change Communication

This article explores the role of translation in climate change communication through an analysis of two typical climate change data visualizations. Drawing on the information theory of translation (ITT), it examines how translation operates not only in the linguistic transfer of climate science knowledge but also in the visual representation of climate data. By comparing the translation strategies employed in the visualizations by NASA and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL), the study reveals how different agents interpret and represent the climate change phenomenon based on their background knowledge, cognitive functions, and aesthetic preferences. The findings highlight that climate visualizations are not purely scientific representations but are influenced by subjective interpretations and choices made by the translation agents. Recognizing translation as a fundamental component of climate communication enables scientists to critically reflect on their communication choices and experiment with new ways of translating scientific discoveries to the public.

From Nescience to Science: Buddhist Reflections on Human/Nature

A Buddhist system of two truths provides a descriptive framework with criteria for what counts as real in contrast to what does not. This paper looks at the relationship between these two truths in the works of two seventh-century Indian philosophers, Dharmakīrti and Candrakīrti, and draws implications for comparison and contrast with modern scientific understandings of the world. It highlights important features of Dharmakīrti’s epistemology that aim to circumvent cultural conventions in a way that resonates with scientific representations of knowledge. It also contrasts this approach with one inspired by Candrakīrti in order to argue for the place of ethics and persons in a hybrid Buddhist–scientific picture of the world.

Transforming science education with virtual reality: an immersive representations model

ABSTRACT Immersive virtual reality (IVR) offers significant transformative potential for science education by supporting learning experiences that deeply engage students and improve their understanding of scientific concepts. Despite considerable interest, research on the use of IVR in science education is still in its formative stage. Currently, there is a substantial gap in a tool that can help stakeholders evaluate key elements of immersive software for science education contexts. This research addresses this gap by conceptualising and applying a framework designed to assist educators, researchers, and designers in assessing essential components of an immersive science application. The framework highlights three key components: IVR technological affordances, the exploration of science within IVR, and scientific representations. These components are synthesised into the Immersive Representations Model (IRM). Employing screen capture methodology, we evaluated the application and significance of the IRM. This study pioneers a structured approach to evaluating immersive technologies in science education.

Embracing the hidden potential: The contribution of majority world research to developmental science.

Research on adolescence from the Majority World possesses major hidden potential in contributing to global adolescent research and developmental science more broadly. In this commentary, the authors (1) describe the background and the process through which this special issue came into fruition, (2) introduce the emic approaches to study the influences of macro-contextual variations on developmental science and provide several pertinent examples on the contributions of Majority World research, (3) elaborate on challenges and barriers that Majority World scholars often face in conducting and disseminating their research, and (4) a few actionable steps and recommendations in promoting the representation and inclusion of Majority World research into global developmental science. Only when our field fully integrates findings from all regions of the world will we be able to develop a fundamental scientific representation and understanding of what it means to be an adolescent, how adolescents develop over time, and what tasks or phenomena in adolescent development are truly universal or specific to particular groups, regions, or areas.

The body of prison power

This visual essay revisits the infamous medical science experiments conducted on prisoners at Philadelphia’s Holmesburg Prison, 1952–1974. It reads ‘a body’ into the prison’s now dilapidated architecture, where the geographies and logics of imprisonment and medical science once intersected. Appropriating visual conventions of scientific representation to image the internal spaces of the former prison, the photographs and 3D prints composing this essay seek to raise and wrestle with questions about memory-making, archiving, and the creation of material culture in the context of captivity. This is not simply to document a vanishing site in order to recuperate a lost story, but to reflexively stage or enact an engagement with inescapable loss and to contemplate the stakes of that loss in our understanding of knowledge, power, and freedom.

The theatrics of Arabic script: word and/as image in the diagrams of the Kitāb al-diryāq (BnF arabe 2964)

This article focuses upon the arrangement of written words in geometric shapes or patterns—specifically in Arabic script. It takes the case of the Kitāb al-diryāq (Book of Antidotes, 595 AH/1199 CE, BnF arabe 2964), an illuminated and illustrated manuscript that features a series of geometric compositions created using Arabic script. The script is employed in conjunction with or independent of geometric lines and curves, with its ligatures compressed and elongated, and words repeated, ornamented, or oriented multidirectionally to augment the geometric shape. The aesthetic manipulation of the script in this manner severely compromises the legibility of the words—the pages invite a viewing of the script rather than a reading of the text. By closely examining a set of four such compositions—articulated as diagrams—the article demonstrates the semantic value of the visual script patterns when read in concert with the verbal content. Furthermore, by focusing on the extralinguistic components of the diagrams, I argue that the arrangement of text in geometric patterns is a vital medium of transmitting knowledge—the form not only shapes the reception of verbal messages but also augments an aesthetic image; operates as a cognitive device; and transforms the text into a scientific representation. The diagrams visually and semantically shape knowledge.

Una mitologia alpina

This text superimposes a seemingly random geometry over certain locations in the Alpine massifs, one that is certainly reductive and debatable, yet still connected to an evident modern unease. Over a period of a few decades, from the end of the 19th century to the early decades of the 20th century, some Alpine locations have been home to significant events and figures in the arts and culture, defining a concentrated itinerary in a relatively limited area. The figures introduced here carry ideas and embody forces far from the commonplaces that accompany our perception of the mountains and the more widespread image assigned to them. In this sense, it is also possible to approach the theme from Alpine iconography, whether it be the work of great artists, attempts at scientific representation or the simplest popular depictions. The protagonists of these itineraries are, indeed, directly linked to different ways of representing the mountain.

Hidden Figures: an interdisciplinary resource to understand the relationship between Mathematics, history, and society

This study analyzed the impact of the interdisciplinary pedagogical activity carried out in the Integrated Project of Educational Practice I discipline on the understanding of Mathematics Education undergraduate students at Instituto Federal de Mato Grosso (IFMT), campus Confresa, about the relationship between historical aspects of the constitution of Mathematics, social contexts in the constitution of humanity, and the representation of scientists in cinema, using the film Hidden Figures as a didactic resource. The results indicated that the activity contributed to a greater awareness among students about the importance of addressing issues of diversity, inclusion, and representation in their future teaching practices. Despite some limitations, the study pointed to the potential of interdisciplinary pedagogical activities to enrich the training of future teachers and promote a more inclusive and contextualized Mathematics Education.

Windows on the Womb and Guiding Trains of Light: Figuring the Real in Plate XXVI of William Hunter's Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus

AbstractEschewing the symbolic in favour of commitment to the unmediated replication of exactly that which is actually observed, Hunter's attitude to the images in his Anatomy of the Human Gravid Uterus embraces a juridical ideal of scientific representation: images should tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Contemporary scholars have questioned this appeal to objectivity, maintaining representation always exists inside culture and arguing gender frequently inflects purportedly neutral scientific vision. I extend that debate via a reading of Plate XXVI, which is frequently misunderstood as representing something completely different to what it actually depicts. Its sequence of images, I argue, chart a narrative of enlightenment wherein folk mythologies of the uterus are subdued by the controlling scientific gaze. I also suggest a previously unrecognised correspondence between Plate XXVI and one of the plaster casts of the dissected bodies preserved in the University of Glasgow's Anatomy Museum.