Scientific Discovery in the Social Sciences

This interdisciplinary conference explores issues arising from scientific
discovery in the social sciences. Keynote talks will be given by speakers
from philosophy, psychology and computer science. Submissions are invited
from a range of disciplines including the behavioural and social sciences,
computer science, philosophy and statistics. Papers and posters covering
all relevant techniques and approaches within this broad area are welcome.
It is hoped that selected papers will appear in extended form as an edited
volume.

Examples of suitable topics are:

-       Experiments or case study analyses shedding light on the
psychological mechanisms underpinning scientific discovery

-       Analyses reflecting on the history and sociology of scientific
discovery

-       The extent to which scientific discovery contributes to the
interpretation and application of complex models in social science
including the identification of model error

-       The degree to which methods of scientific discovery in social
science suggest new philosophical perspectives about the difference between
social and natural science, and the distinguishing characteristics of
social science

-       Philosophical  relationships  in  social  science  between
scientific  discovery,  causation, explanation, inference and probability

-       Computational methods for extracting information from data,
including pattern recognition, with applications to scientific discovery in
social science

-       Novel methods for automating the generation and refinement of
social science theories and models

-       Computational simulation of and assistance with aspects of
scientific discovery in social science such as induction, insight,
creativity and theory formation

-       The extent to which computational methods of theory development
challenge the idea that the construction of social science theories is an
exclusively human activity

FEES

There is no fee for attending the conference. Coffee, tea and sandwiches
will be provided. A conference dinner is planned for Friday January 30, for
which there will be a charge.


LOCATION

The conference will be held in central London, at the London School of
Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE.

All queries to: [email protected]


PROGRAMME COMMITTEE

- Prof. Mark Addis, Birmingham City University and LSE
- Prof. Fernand Gobet, University of Liverpool and LSE
- Dr. Peter Lane, University of Hertfordshire
- Dr. Peter Sozou, University of Liverpool and LSE