inferensramme

Inferensramme is a term used in Scandinavian academic discourse to describe the frame or structure that conditions how an inference is drawn from evidence. The word combines inferens (inference) and ramme (frame), underscoring its focus on the contextual scaffolding of reasoning.

In practice, an inferensramme includes assumptions about the data, the chosen methodology, and the purposes of the analysis. It specifies what is considered relevant evidence, which alternative explanations are explored, and how uncertainty is represented and communicated. Researchers distinguish descriptive, normative, and evidential aspects of the frame.

The concept is used across disciplines such as philosophy of science, statistics, linguistics, and cognitive science to analyze how different frames yield different inferences from the same information. In statistics, an inferensramme may encode a belief about causality, priors, sample representativeness, or thresholds for significance, thereby shaping conclusions about effects. In discourse analysis, it can describe how speakers frame statements to guide listener inference.

History and usage: The term appears in regional scholarly literature from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, where scholars emphasize reflexivity about inference and epistemic responsibility. Critics argue that frames can bias interpretation, while supporters contend that making the frame explicit improves transparency and replicability.

See also: framing, frame semantics, inference, methodological frame.