“Philosophy of Science in Practice – in practice” Workshop
14 October 2025, from 13:50 to 18:45 (CEST), Online
We are pleased to invite you to the workshop Philosophy of Science in Practice – in practice, taking place online on 14 October 2025, from 13:50 to 18:45 (CEST). This event gathers leading scholars in philosophy of science who will offer hands-on insights into applying qualitative methods within philosophical research. The workshop is organized by Emma Cavazzoni (Chair of PHST, TUM) and Costanza Coloni (HPS Cambridge), with sponsorship from the Philosophy of Open Science ERC project (www.opensciencestudies.eu). If you are interested in attending, please register via this link. Registered participants will receive the abstracts and the Zoom link ahead of the workshop.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the Philosophy of Science in Practice (PSP) has gained increasing popularity among scholars worldwide. This approach often employs empirical methods to gather data in support of philosophical claims, integrating traditional theoretical analysis with ethnographic techniques borrowed from the social sciences, like participant observation, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and data-intensive analysis (Ankeny et al., 2011). A rich body of literature on PSP offers in-depth conceptualizations of the significance of this approach. However, practical guidance on how to apply it often remains informal, relying on experienced researchers who share their knowledge orally with newcomers.
In this workshop, we thus aim to bridge the gap for those interested in integrating empirical methods in their research but uncertain about how to begin. In particular, we want to provide early career scholars (including advanced master’s students) with an initial toolkit for applying a qualitative approach to their current projects or for taking it into consideration for future applications. To this end, international scholars in philosophy of science who address their research questions with a variety of qualitative methods will share their experience and provide practical guidance on how to implement these techniques at different stages of the process.
AGENDA
| Schedule | Presenter | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 13:50 – 14:00 | Emma Cavazzoni (Technical University of Munich) & Costanza Coloni (Cambridge University) | Welcome & Introduction |
| 14:00 – 14:35 | Adrian Currie (University of Exeter) & Sophie Veigl (University of Vienna) | What is the philosophy of science in practice? |
| 14:35 – 15:10 | Miles MacLeod (University of Twente) | Some tips on adapting Ethnographic Research for Philosophy of Science |
| 15:10 – 15:45 | Evan Josselin (Institut Jean Nicod) | Navigating the field for philosophical analysis: What and who to look for |
| 15:45 – 15:55 | Break | |
| 15:55 – 16:30 | Rose Trappes (University of Bergen) | What do I do with the data? Data management and sharing for qualitative empirical philosophy of science |
| 16:30 – 17:05 | Rachel A. Ankeny (Wageningen University) | From Empirical Data to Making Philosophical Claims: Oh, the Choices You Face! |
| 17:05 – 17:15 | Break | |
| 17:15 – 17:50 | Helene Scott-Fordsmand (Cambridge University) | Looking for surprises and encountering resistance – ethnographic philosophy as a journey |
| 17:50 – 18:25 | Hasok Chang (Cambridge University) | Putting PSP to use, and improving it |
| 18.25 – 18.45 | Breakout Rooms – Focused Q&A |
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us: emma.cavazzoni@tum.de, cc2191@cam.ac.uk.
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Emma Cavazzoni (Technical University of Munich) and Costanza Coloni (University of Cambridge)