Applied Ecology and the Logic of Case Studies
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1994
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1086/289797
Abstract
Because of the problems associated with ecological concepts, generalizations, and proposed general theories, applied ecology may require a new "logic" of explanation characterized neither by the traditional accounts of confirmation nor by the logic of discovery. Building on the works of Grunbaum, Kuhn, and Wittgenstein, we use detailed descriptions from research on conserving the Northern Spotted Owl, a case typical of problem solving in applied ecology, to (1) characterize the method of case studies; (2) survey its strengths; (3) summarize and respond to its shortcomings; and (4) investigate and defend its underlying "logic".
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Philosophy of Science, v. 61, issue 2, p. 228-249
Scholar Commons Citation
Shrader-Frechette, Kristin and McCoy, Earl D., "Applied Ecology and the Logic of Case Studies" (1994). Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications. 196.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/bin_facpub/196
