Taxonomies of epistemic tools and infrastructures

Abstract

Chapters 13 and 14 are taxonomic. Chapter 13 maps a landscape of epistemic tools and infrastructures, identifying the main kinds of tools and infrastructures and describing some of their interrelationships. This taxonomic work does not spring from an academic desire to tidy up a fuzzy space. Rather, we want to argue that professional workers – and those who help them prepare for the professions – can benefit from being able to consciously distinguish between different kinds of epistemic tools and to think and talk about the tasks for which each is best suited.