 Unificationism is a view of scientific explanation that, although it builds on some of the insights of the classic DN-model, extends and refines that model by focusing, not on individual arguments, but on those argument patterns which best unify the relevant phenomena. Its core idea is that to explain is to derive as many conclusions as possible from as few premises as possible, using as few and as stringent argument patterns as possible. The fewer patterns used, the higher the stringency. The greater the range of conclusions derived, the greater the unification. The account (inspired by Friedman 1974) was first developed by Kitcher (1981, 1989). For a good overview, see the entry on  scientific explanation (§5).