Description
A pragmatic scientific theory is the conceptual basis that a group of scientists uses to conduct their scientific activities. This notion implies a definition of scientific theory based on what, from all available knowledge, scientists use to support their research. In other words, the theory is what scientists are using.
The recently published Pragmatic Approach to Theories is a method to produce theoretical syntheses by tracking the knowledge exchange in citations among publications. The method involves collecting scientific papers produced by a defined group of scientists and investigating which publications are consistently referred to. Afterwards, there is a content analysis to understand how these publications are being cited. This content analysis results in textual syntheses describing the most relevant models used by the group of scientists to conduct research activities. The theoretical synthesis produced assumes that such a pragmatic theory is an ever-changing entity, and the method takes snapshots of it.
The use of AI could advance several aspects of this process, from screening of papers produced by the group, through helping track scientific activities, to content analysis and model syntheses. However, there are several challenges relating to automating this process into a pipeline. The main issue is still the publishers' rights that prevent an automated content analysis. However, there is room for discussion about whether a synthesis produced by LLMs is equivalent to synthesis produced by humans (the tested way the method was implemented).
Being able to automate parts of this process through AI would allow for a fast implementation of each "snapshot" of the theory, leading to a more continuous analysis of theory development. In other words, it would allow us to create an "animation" of how a theory has been developing through time, among different geographical regions and even demographic profiles.
| Topic | Topic 4: Can knowledge graphs and AI-based synthesis improve ecological synthesis? |
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