Is It Possible to Study Scientific Concepts?

Way to Use Concept Analysis as a Research Method

Abstract:

The concept analysis forms the core of the terminological methods. It is defined as a clarification and description of concepts belonging to a specific unity, and their relations to each other. In the concept analysis characteristics of concepts are clarified, as well as concept relations described. Originally, it was used in practical terminology work only. However, Nuopponen (2003, 2004) has developed it as a research method.

In this paper, the concept analysis will be used as a research method for some central concepts of systematics and taxonomy. The method will be introduced with examples from the research material of my forthcoming dissertation.

Summary:

The concepts from scientific subject fields often refer to abstract objects, e. g. to principles, subject fields or research objects. In this paper, central concepts of systematics and taxonomy are studied by means of terminological concept analysis. The purpose is to study how concept analysis could be developed as a research method when analysing scientific concepts.

The paper contains a part of the analysis of the concepts Organismus or organismi ('organism'), eliö or Lebewesen ('organism'), Kategorie ('category') and Taxon ('taxon'). According to the study, the concept analysis with its graphical illustrations – tables of characteristics, satellite systems and concept diagrams – is a versatile method for the study of scientific concepts. The table of characteristics can be used to compare the characteristics of concepts which are presumed identical. The satellite system is suitable for analysing the intensions of concepts. In this way, the terminological concept analysis offers an explicit method to analyse scientific concepts.

Key words: terminology science, concept analysis, scientific concept, systematics, taxonomy

Contents:

1 Purpose and Sequence of the Study
2 Material and Method of the Study
3 The Terminological Analysis of Some Central Concepts of Systematics and Taxonomy
3.1 Concept Extraction
3.2 Preliminary Analysis: Satellite System
3.3 Concept Analysis
3.3.1 Analysis of Characteristics: Table of Characteristics
3.3.2 Analysis of Characteristics: Satellite System
3.3.3 Analysis of Concept Relations: Satellite System
3.3.3 Analysis of Concept Relations: Concept Diagrams
4 Conclusions
References

Reference:
Peltoniemi, P. (2008). Is It Possible to Study Scientific Concepts? Way to Use Concept Analysis as a Research Method. In: Nistrup Madsen, B./Erdman Thomsen, H. (eds.). Managing Ontologies and Lexical Resources. TKE2008, 8th International Conference on Terminology and Knowledge Engineering, Copenhagen, Denmark. Institut for Internationale Sprogstudier og Vidensteknologi (ISV), 123-126.

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.