On Discovery

Jonathan Jansen is a Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and is the immediate past president of the Academy of Science of South Africa. He is a curriculum theorist with work on the politics of knowledge in schools and universities.

• 1. Introduction: on the question of discovery Jonathan Jansen; 2. Physics: extracting meaning from models Irvy Gledhill; 3. Philosophy: making philosophical discoveries Thaddeus Metz; 4. Psychology: discovery, solidarity and politics in psychology Leslie Swartz; 5. Biochemistry: creating new knowledge in the field of applied biochemistry Stephanie Burton; 6. Astronomy: discovering the stars Justin Jonas; 7. Dentistry: extracting knowledge from communities Stephen James Heinrich Hendricks; 8. Surgery: what the hands know Elmi Muller; 9. Theology: surfacing after being swallowed in the book of Jonah Juliana Claassens; 10. Architecture: authority, identity, and place in creating new knowledge Philippa Tumubweinee; 11. Palaeontology: the knowledge in the bones Anusuya Chinsamy Turan; 12. Music: on performing and discovering Mozart Stephanus Muller; 13. Law: three graces – certainty, originality, and justice Daniel Visser; 14. Genetics: discovering human origins through DNA Himla Soodyall; 15. Classics: inventio – Archimedes, Cicero and me Grant Parker; 16. Archaeology: archaeology as disaggregation and fragmentation of knowledge Innocent Pikirayi; 17. History: discovering social histories from the provinces Neil Roos; 18. Linguistics: discovery procedures in language and linguistic research Rajend Mesthrie; 19. Public health: following the data to save lives Quarraisha Abdool Karim; 20. Engineering: the search for a black cat in a dark room Thokozani Majozi; 21. Microbiology: discovering microbes Thulani Makhalanyane; 22. Conclusion: the discovery of new knowledge – an integrative synthesis Jonathan Jansen.

'This insightful and thought-provoking book sheds light on the hidden processes of knowledge production, offering a rare glimpse into how scholars navigate research and discovery. With its cross-disciplinary approach, it is an invaluable guide for researchers seeking to deepen their understanding of disciplinary knowledge and its ethical and political implications across fields.' Michalinos Zembylas, Professor of Education, Open University of Cyprus