How Can the Concept Analysis Be Used as a Research Method?

Abstract:

In the biology, the definitions of the concepts systematiikka ('systematics') and taksonomia ('taxonomy') vary quite much. According to Muona (2004), for example, the systematics studies theoretical problems in relationships of organisms and in defining and classifying them, whereas the taxonomy studies the practical sides of the same matters.

However, Tirri, Lehtonen, Lemmetyinen, Pihakaski and Portin (2006) define the concept systematiikka ('systematics') wider. According to them, the systematics is ordering of organisms; it studies the relations between them, especially concerning the phylogenetic relations between taxa. Besides of this, it studies the diversity of organisms. (Tirri et al. 2006.) Furthermore, Tirri et al. (2006) consider the concept taxonomy as a branch of biology which includes not only classifying both present and extinct organisms, but even describing and naming them.

In this paper, some central concepts of biological systematics and taxonomy are studied by means of a concept analysis. It forms the core of terminological methods and is defined as a clarification and description of concepts of a whole, their characteristics and relations to each other (Nuopponen 2003). Originally, it was used in a practical terminology work only, but Nuopponen (2003; 2004) has developed it as a research method as well. This paper tries to apply and to develop this method as a research method for theoretical concepts and includes examples from my forthcoming dissertation.