Construction of a Validity Boundary in an Academic Community:

A New Direction in Studies of Scientific Thinking

Abstract

Cognitive science research on scientific thinking is a rising approach in studies of science (i.e., meta-science such as philosophy and sociology of science), and has made important contributions to explaining scientific discovery processes. In this study, we first point out that construction processes of a Validity-Boundary (V.B.) are appropriate for studies in cognitive science. A V.B. serves as a criterion for an academic community to judge whether a new study is valid or not. In this sense, a V.B. constrains activities for generating new scientific knowledge. Research in science studies has suggested that scientists construct a V.B. through daily academic activities. Therefore, investigating the contents and construction processes of a V.B. is essential to fully understand scientific activity. Second, based on formal logic, we propose a framework for studying the construction processes of a V.B. Analysis of counterarguments in academic discussions using this framework suggest that there are several patterns of V.B. construction processes.