module 1: intro to science, scientific method and research studies

what is science?

science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following systematic methodology based on evidence

what are the characteristics of science?

1. based on empirical knowledge

2. provides rational/natural explanations

3. testable

4. repeatable and reproducible

5. involves observation and experimentation

6. generality of principles

what is empirical knowledge?

• based on evidence

• data collections

• derived from observations or experimentation

what is natural explanations

• very few questions are off limits in science but the answers science can provide are limited to the natural world

what does it mean to be testable

• its a scientific potential explanation (hypothesis) to a question/problem that must be testable through observations or experiments

• it must generate specific expectations (predictions)

how to tell difference in hypothesis (H) vs predictions (P)

• if predictions follows the hypothesis 

• if hypothesis then prediction = deductive syllogism

• eg. if competition among trees lowers reproductive output (H) then fruit size should be smaller when tree density increases

what is repeatable/reproductive?

• scientific results are subject to conformation by the same (repeated) or others (reproduced) investigators

• conformation

• findings are more reliable

• keeps science on track

what does observational experiment mean?

• experiment: controlled setting where there is an intervention/manipulation of a natural process to observe the effects of such intervention/manipulation

• best to study cause and effect

what does generality mean?

• the establishment of universal principles that express how the natural world works under certain conditions

• common patterns

• law and theories

research processes

inductive reasoning: specific observation to generalization

1. generalization

2. patterns

3. tentative hypothesis

4. theory

deductive reasoning: generalization to specific observation

1. research question

2. hypothesis and prediction

3. observation/experiment

4. conformation

scientific method steps:

1. define/identify a problem/question

2. formulate a hypothesis (‘potential explanation’)

3. formulate predictions based on hypothesis

4. test hypothesis by testing predictions (e.g. make observations or perform experiments and collect data)

5. analyze data/results

6. does the data support hypothesis?

7. draw conclusions

8. communicate results