Science Outside the Laboratory: Measurement in Field Science and Economics

by Marcel Boumans

The conduct of most of social science occurs outside the laboratory. Such studies in field science explore phenomena that cannot for practical, technical, or ethical reasons be explored under controlled conditions. These phenomena cannot be fully isolated from their environment or investigated by manipulation or intervention. Yet measurement, including rigorous or clinical measurement, does provide analysts with a sound basis for discerning what occurs under field conditions, and why.

In Science Outside the Laboratory , Marcel Boumans explores the state of measurement theory, its reliability, and the role expert judgment plays in field investigations from the perspective of the philosophy of science. Its discussion of the problems of passive observation, the calculus of observation, the two-model problem, and model-based consensus uses illustrations drawn primarily from economics.

Rich in research and discussion, the volume clarifies the extent to which measurement provides valid information about objects and events in field sciences, but also has implications for measurement in the laboratory. Scholars in the fields of philosophy of science, social science, and economics will find Science Outside the Laboratory a compelling and informative read.

Genres: Philosophy

214 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2015

About the author

Marcel Boumans is historian and philosopher of science at Utrecht University. His main research focus is on understanding empirical research practices in economics from a philosophy of science-in-practice perspective. He is particularly interested in the practices of measurement and modeling and the role of mathematics in social science. These topics are covered by his most recent monograph Science outside the Laboratory (2015). His current research project is on vision and visualization, focused on an epistemological understanding of expert judgments.

Reviews

[Christophe Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing really new here. The first half is mostly history of econometrics, with really new insights as far as I can tell, and the second held is a hodge-lodge of other already documented facts and ideas, like heuristics and biases in human judgment.