{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,25]],"date-time":"2026-06-25T22:29:47Z","timestamp":1782426587730,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"S10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]],"date-time":"2018-06-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1528416000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]],"date-time":"2018-06-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1528416000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100010663","name":"H2020 European Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["335925"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["335925"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100010663","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000269","name":"Economic and Social Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["ES\/P011489\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ES\/P011489\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000269","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000265","name":"Medical Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["MR\/K019341\/1"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MR\/K019341\/1"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000265","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Synthese"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>The use of big data to investigate the spread of infectious diseases or the impact of the built environment on human wellbeing goes beyond the realm of traditional approaches to epidemiology, and includes a large variety of data objects produced by research communities with different methods and goals. This paper addresses the conditions under which researchers link, search and interpret such diverse data by focusing on \u201cdata mash-ups\u201d\u2014that is the linking of data from epidemiology, biomedicine, climate and environmental science, which is typically achieved by holding one or more basic parameters, such as geolocation, as invariant. We argue that this strategy works best when epidemiologists interpret localisation procedures through an idiographic perspective that recognises their context-dependence and supports a critical evaluation of the epistemic value of geolocation data whenever they are used for new research purposes. Approaching invariants as strategic constructs can foster data linkage and re-use, and support carefully-targeted predictions in ways that can meaningfully inform public health. At the same time, it explicitly signals the limitations in the scope and applicability of the original datasets incorporated into big data collections, and thus the situated nature of data linkage exercises and their predictive power.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]],"date-time":"2018-06-08T16:17:20Z","timestamp":1528474640000},"page":"2485-2504","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["Where health and environment meet: the use of invariant parameters in big data analysis"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"198","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7815-6609","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sabina","family":"Leonelli","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5100-5376","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Niccol\u00f2","family":"Tempini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"1844_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1057\/jit.2013.29","volume":"29","author":"A Aaltonen","year":"2014","unstructured":"Aaltonen, A., & Tempini, N. (2014). Everything counts in large amounts: A critical realist case study on data-based production. Journal of Information Technology, 29, 97\u2013110.","journal-title":"Journal of Information Technology"},{"key":"1844_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"415","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shpsc.2008.09.008","volume":"39","author":"S Bauer","year":"2008","unstructured":"Bauer, S. (2008). Mining data, gathering variables, and recombining information: The flexible architecture of epidemiological studies. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 39, 415\u2013426.","journal-title":"Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences"},{"issue":"4","key":"1844_CR50","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"493","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shpsc.2012.10.001","volume":"44","author":"W Bechtel","year":"2013","unstructured":"Bechtel, W. (2013). From molecules to behavior and the clinic: Integration in chronobiology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 44(4), 493\u2013502.","journal-title":"Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences"},{"key":"1844_CR3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bokulich, A. (2018). Using models to correct data: Paleodiversity and the follis record. [Preprint]. http:\/\/philsci-archive.pitt.edu\/id\/eprint\/14688. Accessed 7 June 2018.","DOI":"10.1007\/s11229-018-1820-x"},{"key":"1844_CR4","volume-title":"Philosophy of molecular medicine: Foundational issues in research and practice","author":"G Boniolo","year":"2017","unstructured":"Boniolo, G., & Nathan, M. J. (2017). Philosophy of molecular medicine: Foundational issues in research and practice. London: Routledge."},{"key":"1844_CR5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/9781137315601","volume-title":"Philosophy of epidemiology","author":"A Broadbent","year":"2013","unstructured":"Broadbent, A. (2013). Philosophy of epidemiology. London: Palgrave."},{"key":"1844_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shpsc.2015.06.004","volume":"54","author":"A Broadbent","year":"2015","unstructured":"Broadbent, A. (2015). Causation and prediction in epidemiology: A guide to the methodological revolution. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 54, 72\u201380.","journal-title":"Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences"},{"key":"1844_CR7","first-page":"1","volume":"22","author":"CS Calude","year":"2016","unstructured":"Calude, C. S., & Longo, G. (2016). The deluge of spurious correlations in big data. Foundations of Science, 22, 1\u201318.","journal-title":"Foundations of Science"},{"issue":"1","key":"1844_CR8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1080\/02698595.2012.653113","volume":"26","author":"R Campaner","year":"2012","unstructured":"Campaner, R., & Galavotti, M. C. (2012). Evidence and the assessment of causal relations in the health sciences. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 26(1), 27\u201345.","journal-title":"International Studies in the Philosophy of Science"},{"key":"1844_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"165","DOI":"10.1038\/516165a","volume":"516","author":"A Casadevall","year":"2014","unstructured":"Casadevall, A., & Pirofski, L. A. (2014). Ditch the term pathogen. Nature, 516, 165\u2013166.","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"1844_CR10","volume-title":"Evidential reasoning in archaeology","author":"B Chapman","year":"2016","unstructured":"Chapman, B., & Wylie, A. (2016). Evidential reasoning in archaeology. London: Bloomsbury."},{"key":"1844_CR11","volume-title":"Rock, Bone, and Ruin: An optimist\u2019s guide to the historical sciences","author":"A Currie","year":"2017","unstructured":"Currie, A. (2017). Rock, Bone, and Ruin: An optimist\u2019s guide to the historical sciences. Cambridge: MIT Press."},{"key":"1844_CR51","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-642-55049-2","volume-title":"Mashups: Concepts, models and architectures (data-centric systems and applications)","author":"F Daniel","year":"2014","unstructured":"Daniel, F., & Matera, M. (2014). Mashups: Concepts, models and architectures (data-centric systems and applications). New York: Springer."},{"key":"1844_CR12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-018-3106-9","volume":"18","author":"A Djennad","year":"2018","unstructured":"Djennad, A., Lo Iacono, G., Sarran, C., Fleming, L. E., Kessel, A., Haines, A., et al. (2018). A comparison of weather variables linked to infectious disease patterns using laboratory addresses and patient residence addresses. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18, 198.","journal-title":"BMC Infectious Diseases"},{"key":"1844_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.23889\/ijpds.v1i1.51","volume":"1","author":"A Djennad","year":"2017","unstructured":"Djennad, A., Nichols, G., Lo Iacono, G., Fleming, L. E., Kessel, A., Kovats, S., et al. (2017). The seasonality and effects of temperature and rainfall on campylobacter infections. International Journal for Population Data Science, 1, 1.","journal-title":"International Journal for Population Data Science"},{"key":"1844_CR14","volume-title":"A vast machine: Computer models, climate data and the politics of global warming","author":"P Edwards","year":"2010","unstructured":"Edwards, P. (2010). A vast machine: Computer models, climate data and the politics of global warming. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press."},{"issue":"2","key":"1844_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1725","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph110201725","volume":"11","author":"LE Fleming","year":"2014","unstructured":"Fleming, L. E., Haines, A., Golding, B., Kessel, A., Cichowska, A., Sabel, C. E., et al. (2014). Data Mashups: Potential contribution to decision support on climate change and health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11(2), 1725\u20131746.","journal-title":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"},{"key":"1844_CR16","volume-title":"Big Data in environment and human health: Challenges and opportunities. Oxford encyclopaedia for environment and human health","author":"LE Fleming","year":"2017","unstructured":"Fleming, L. E., Tempini, N., Gordon-Brown, H., Nichols, G., Sarran, C., Vineis, P., et al. (2017). Big Data in environment and human health: Challenges and opportunities. Oxford encyclopaedia for environment and human health. Oxford: Oxford University Press."},{"issue":"3","key":"1844_CR18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"398","DOI":"10.1177\/0162243912439610","volume":"38","author":"C Holmberg","year":"2012","unstructured":"Holmberg, C., Bischof, C., & Bauer, S. (2012). Making predictions: Computing populations. Science, Technology and Human Values, 38(3), 398\u2013420.","journal-title":"Science, Technology and Human Values"},{"key":"1844_CR19","volume-title":"The data revolution","author":"R Kitchin","year":"2014","unstructured":"Kitchin, R. (2014). The data revolution. Thousand Oaks: Sage."},{"key":"1844_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4159\/9780674039681","volume-title":"Epistemic cultures: How the sciences make knowledge","author":"K Knorr-Cetina","year":"1999","unstructured":"Knorr-Cetina, K. (1999). Epistemic cultures: How the sciences make knowledge. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press."},{"issue":"2","key":"1844_CR21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"214","DOI":"10.1177\/0306312711436265","volume":"42","author":"S Leonelli","year":"2012","unstructured":"Leonelli, S. (2012). When humans are the exception: Cross-species databases at the interface of biological and clinical research. Social Studies of Science, 42(2), 214\u2013236.","journal-title":"Social Studies of Science"},{"key":"1844_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/2053951714534395","volume":"1","author":"S Leonelli","year":"2014","unstructured":"Leonelli, S. (2014). What difference does quantity make? On the epistemology of big data in biology. Big Data and Society, 1, 1\u201311.","journal-title":"Big Data and Society"},{"key":"1844_CR23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7208\/chicago\/9780226416502.001.0001","volume-title":"Data-centric biology: A philosophical study","author":"S Leonelli","year":"2016","unstructured":"Leonelli, S. (2016). Data-centric biology: A philosophical study. Chicago, IL: Chicago University Press."},{"key":"1844_CR24","unstructured":"Leonelli, S. (2017). Biomedical knowledge production in the age of big data. Swiss Science and Innovation Council Exploratory Study 2\/2017. https:\/\/www.swir.ch\/images\/stories\/pdf\/en\/Exploratory_study_2_2017_Big_Data_SSIC_EN.pdf. Accessed 7 June 2018."},{"key":"1844_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7208\/chicago\/9780226921822.001.0001","volume-title":"Studying human behavior: How scientists investigate aggression and sexuality","author":"H Longino","year":"2013","unstructured":"Longino, H. (2013). Studying human behavior: How scientists investigate aggression and sexuality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press."},{"key":"1844_CR26","volume-title":"Big data: A revolution that will transform how we live, work and think","author":"V Mayer-Sch\u00f6nberger","year":"2013","unstructured":"Mayer-Sch\u00f6nberger, V., & Cukier, K. (2013). Big data: A revolution that will transform how we live, work and think. London: John Murray."},{"key":"1844_CR27","unstructured":"MEDMI website. (2017). Section \u201cAbout Us\u201d. https:\/\/www.data-mashup.org.uk\/about-us\/. Accessed October 6, 2017."},{"key":"1844_CR28","volume-title":"A history of epidemiologic methods and concepts","author":"A Morabia","year":"2005","unstructured":"Morabia, A. (2005). A history of epidemiologic methods and concepts. Berlin: Springer."},{"issue":"1","key":"1844_CR29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shpsc.2011.10.006","volume":"43","author":"MA O\u2019Malley","year":"2012","unstructured":"O\u2019Malley, M. A., & Soyer, O. S. (2012). The roles of integration in molecular systems biology. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C, 43(1), 58\u201368.","journal-title":"Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C"},{"issue":"4","key":"1844_CR30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"466","DOI":"10.1016\/j.shpsc.2013.03.019","volume":"44","author":"A Plutynski","year":"2013","unstructured":"Plutynski, A. (2013). Cancer and the goals of integration. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 44(4), 466\u2013476.","journal-title":"Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences"},{"key":"1844_CR31","unstructured":"Popov, V. L. (originator). (2017). Invariant. In Encyclopedia of mathematics. http:\/\/www.encyclopediaofmath.org\/index.php?title=Invariant&oldid=12916. Accessed October 6, 2017."},{"issue":"4","key":"1844_CR32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"540","DOI":"10.1353\/pbm.0.0118","volume":"52","author":"F Russo","year":"2009","unstructured":"Russo, F. (2009). Variational causal claims in epidemiology. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 52(4), 540\u2013554.","journal-title":"Perspectives in Biology and Medicine"},{"key":"1844_CR33","volume-title":"Philosophy of molecular medicine: Foundational issues in research and practice","author":"F Russo","year":"2017","unstructured":"Russo, F., & Vineis, P. (2017). Opportunities and challenges of molecular epidemiology. In G. Boniolo & M. J. Nathan (Eds.), Philosophy of molecular medicine: Foundational issues in research and practice. London: Routledge."},{"key":"1844_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1086\/649805","volume":"76","author":"A Shavit","year":"2009","unstructured":"Shavit, A., & Griesemer, J. (2009). There and back again, or the problem of locality in biodiversity surveys. Philosophy of Science, 76, 273\u2013294.","journal-title":"Philosophy of Science"},{"key":"1844_CR36","unstructured":"Tempini, N., & Leonelli, S. (2018). Concealment and discovery: The role of information security in biomedical data re-use. Social Studies of Science. http:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10871\/32996."},{"key":"1844_CR37","unstructured":"Weisstein, E. W. (2017). Invariant. From MathWorld\u2014A Wolfram Web Resource. http:\/\/mathworld.wolfram.com\/Invariant.html. Accessed October 6, 2017."},{"key":"1844_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wildelbaum, W. (1980[1894]). History and natural science. History and Theory, 19, 169\u2013185.","DOI":"10.2307\/2504798"}],"container-title":["Synthese"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,25]],"date-time":"2022-08-25T09:05:51Z","timestamp":1661418351000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]]},"references-count":38,"journal-issue":{"issue":"S10","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,5]]}},"alternative-id":["1844"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11229-018-1844-2","relation":{},"ISSN":["0039-7857","1573-0964"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0039-7857","type":"print"},{"value":"1573-0964","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,6,8]]},"assertion":[{"value":"30 October 2017","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"4 June 2018","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"8 June 2018","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}}]}}