The Nature and Possibility of Prediction in the Social Sciences (2023-)
What is social scientific prediction and how does it differ from prediction in the natural sciences? Are predictions required for theory confirmation in the social sciences, and if so, what kind of predictions should they be? How can we best evaluate the success of social scientific predictions? I am currently working on a project that seeks to provide answers to such questions. The project is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

Making Data Speak: Towards a Philosophy of Data-Driven Social Science (2023-2027)
Increasing amounts of data are collected and made available about the activities of human beings. Yet, data as such does not constitute evidence for theories. Data can mislead, it can be misused, and it always requires interpretation. How can we ensure that data is used reliably for scientific inference and prediction? This project examines how data makes its way from individual traces to reliable evidence for social scientific theories. The project is funded by the Academy of Finland and managed by PI Jaakko Kuorikoski (University of Helsinki).