A Study of Scientific Practice through Ethnographic Fieldwork

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Through ethnographic research on scientists' and technologists' practice,this paper explores that both scientists and technologists accomplish their learning through their constant participation in reorganizing their own social networks. For instance, scientists 'individual' experiments in a lab and the research theme formation are not conducted for themselves, but those are succeeded in participating in their own lab communities and social networks outside the lab including different research fields. In the plant biotechnology lab I visited, a professor, a research assistant and fellow students equally work as functional resources for organizing members' learning. The professor and the research assistant organize joint research projects with chemical companies, intentionally having their students participated in practical networks of plant biotechnology. On the other hand, there are various cognitive artifacts such as experimental notebooks accumulated in the lab community, which support the members access to both formal and informal knowledge and technologies. This lab community is organized and maintained by the guarantee system of access to plant biotechnology practice. Individual members change their cognitive and social roles through the process of participation in the community of practice, and develop their knowledge and technologies. Technologists' practice is not exception. The formation of technology is deeply embedded in the relationship with social systems. There is no technology independent from social systems. Thus, both scientists and technologists learning occur in the process of organizing, maintaining and reorganizing social networks and systems.