ROBUSTNESS ANALYSIS

Abstract

This chapter is devoted to robustness analysis, a common practice in modeling, where researchers vary the features of a model and study the impact of changes on its behavior. After presenting the three most prominent types discussed in the philosophical literature, the chapter reviews the debate surrounding the epistemic role of this practice, focusing on the contested issue of its evidential import. The discussion highlights the multiple roles of robustness analysis, including the value of not establishing the robustness of a particular modeling result.