SKIPPER SCIENCE - A NOTE ON THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF PRACTICE AND THE NATURE OF EXPERTISE

This research examines success in fishing from perspectives of science studies and the sociology of work, emphasizing the common elements be tween the processes of fishing, creative work and scientific practice. It focuses on the expertise of the fishing skippers as they attempt t o enhance their fishing success by assessment of evidence, framing of questions and inventing ways to answer these questions. In the process they set and solve problems to deal with uncertainties and uniqueness . It is shown how the skippers develop their knowledge by recording an d analyzing data, systematic observation and limited experimentation. The findings demonstrate the importance of craft work and skill in the innovative process and thus bridge the gap between sociology of work and the social studies of science.