Approaches in Post‐Experimental Science. The Case of Precision Medicine

In the introduction to his Spalt und Fuge, Hans‐Jörg Rheinberger points to the possibility that we are currently experiencing a new turning point regarding forms of experimentation, which is characterized by the growing importance of high‐throughput methods and big data analytics. This essay will explore the thesis that data‐intensive research indeed constitutes a form of post‐experimental research by interrogating research practices in precision medicine. Section 1 will introduce this thesis and highlight salient features of precision medicine as an example of post‐experimental research. Section 2 suggests approach as a category that is broader than experimental system, as discussed by Rheinberger, and can serve to analyze and compare diverse forms of research, including experimental and post‐experimental practices. The essay concludes with a reflection on how categories developed for the historiography of recent science might require an update when the science or its context changes (section 3).