Holism in science, or
holistic science, is an approach to
research that emphasizes the study of
complex systems. This practice is in contrast to a purely analytic tradition (sometimes called
reductionism) which aims to gain understanding of systems by dividing them into smaller composing elements and gaining understanding of the system through understanding their elemental properties. The holism-reductionism dichotomy is often evident in conflicting interpretations of experimental findings and in setting priorities for future research.