%0 Journal Article %J Metaphysica: International Journal for Ontology and Metaphysics %D 2008 %T Towards an Ontology of Scientific Models %A Ducheyne, Steffen %K Abstraction %K Idealisation %K Ontology of scientific models %X

Scientific models occupy centre stage in scientific practice. Correspondingly, in recent literature in the philosophy of science, scientific models have been a focus of research. However, little attention has been paid so far to the ontology of scientific models. In this essay, I attempt to clarify the issues involved in formulating an informatively rich ontology of scientific models. Although no full-blown theory—containing all ontological issues involved—is provided, I make several distinctions and point to several characteristic properties exhibited by scientific models that are relevant for individuating scientific models.

%B Metaphysica: International Journal for Ontology and Metaphysics %V 9 %P 119-127 %G eng %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12133-008-0026-y %R 10.1007/s12133-008-0026-y