The scientific method relies on objective data collection and analysis. Contrary to this assumption, the premise of this collaborative proposal is that scientists’ biases, beliefs, and opinions influence their findings and conclusions. These subjective factors are rarely reported and acknowledged. We therefore name them the ’black box’ of scientific discovery. To open this black box and uncover the influence of the scientists on their discoveries, we propose a multidisciplinary project that brings together a zoologist, an
anthropologist, a cognitive scientist, and historians to study the interaction between subjective and objective in the scientific process. Our case study will be the field diaries of zoologists studying rock hyrax, a unique source of raw data that reports scientists’ observations. We will examine these diaries both across different zoologists as well as along the academic training within each zoologist. By analyzing the text of these diaries from ethnographic, computational cognitive and comparative historical perspectives, we aim to disentangle the subjective from the objective and develop a methodological protocol that can be applied to analyze the effects of scientists across different fields. By combining these different but complementary methodological and theoretical approaches with the analysis of the same texts, our project seeks to integrate both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a synergic manner. Overall, this multidisciplinary project will allow us to uncover valuable insights that are typically hidden from the scientist, scientific community and public, but make a significant and important contribution to scientific discovery. Ultimately, we hope to contribute to a more transparent and accountable scientific process that considers the role of the scientists in generating knowledge.