3.1 Scientific principles and process

what are the stages in the scientific cycle

observation, construction of a testable hypothesis, experimental design, gathering, recording, and analysis of data, evaluation of results and conclusions

what is the refinement of ideas

current best explanation which may be updated after evaluation of further evidence

what does a null hypothesis propose

there will be no statistically significant effect as a result of the experiment treatment

how is a negative result still useful

its a valid finding as long as the investigation has been well designed

what can conflicting data or conclusions be resolved through

careful evaluation or will usually lead to further experimentation

in order for an experiment to be valid…

the results must be reproducible, if they are one off they are treated with caution

what are the use of statistics

used to identify if results are caused by chance or not

when do scientific ideas become accepted

once they have been checked independently

how are original scientific findings shared

seminar talks, posters at conferences and publishing academic journals

how is published data checked

peer reviewed and critically evaluated by specialists with expertise in the relevant field

what are the ethics behind science

unbiased presentation of results, providing references and avoiding plagiarism

how is animal suffering kept to a minimum

replacement - use an alternative such as tissue culture

reduction - use minimum number of animals to obtain robust results

refinement - methods that minimise potential pain, suffering or distress

how are human rights adhered to in science

must be justifiable in terms of the benefits of its outcome

informed consent - participant fully aware of treatment and is happy to proceed

right to withdraw - participant has ability to remove themselves from trial at any time during study

confidentiality - any data collected does not identify subject, participant remains anonymous, data is not shared without their consent

how does legislation and regulations impact science

limits potential for the misuse of studies and data

what is the term to describe published summaries of current knowledge and recent findings in a particular field

review