Philosophical Issues for Platform Science
The epistemic impact of the public’s use of online platforms has been explored in numerous studies of fake news, mis- and dis-information, echo chambers, and anti-science conspiracy theories. But why limit these discussions to the impact that platforms have on the lay public? Scientists are increasingly participating on platforms---not just in their personal lives, but when acting as scientists. Most scientists tweet, share, and post on their Facebook walls. But perhaps more interesting (and concerning) for philosophy of science are the newer platforms tailor-made for science, such as Mendeley, Academia.edu, and the many products of Holtzbrink Publishing Group’s Digital Science. In a world of ‘platform science’ (Mirowski 2023), these platforms will have the power to shape scientific methodology and practice at all stages of the research process. Contested choices about the proper aims and methods of science are built into these platforms, which will have serious epistemic impacts on platform science. I will review the development of platform science and discuss how traditional issues in the philosophy of science raise challenges for the platformization of science.