Models in geography? A sense to research

Abstract

Ideas on models and modelling made a conspicuous entry into geography in the 1960s. They have since evolved, through practice and under the influence of—partly justified—criticism. No serious research can dispense with modelling as a means to reach the essential and to evaluate the divergence between singular geographical objects and the models that assist their interpretation. On two conditions, which merit further definition and exploration : models must have meaning in and through the practices, objectives and intentions of human action ; and we must know how to use models—whether tried and tested or new—to understand the structure and dynamics of singular geographical objects, and not just to infer general mechanisms from them, even though they will certainly enhance our understanding of the nature and scope of general mechanisms.

Keywords

• epistemology
• structure
• figure
• form
• logic
• model