Week 2: The Nature of Science and peer review

What is science?

body of knowledge about the world and the way we gain new information

What can we use science for?

develop or support opinions

What do we use to answer questions about the world around us?

scientific method

What is a hypotheses?

explanatinons for observations

What is systematic?

logical approach to gathering info and reaching conclusions

What is step 1 of scientific method?

Make observations

What is step 2 of scientific method?

Form a hypothesis

What is step 3 of scientific method?

make a testable prediction

What is step 4 of scientific method?

conduct an experiment

What is step 5 of scientific method?

Draw conclusions and make revisions

Hypothesis must be

testable and falsifiable

What is an independent variable?

The variable you change/regulate

What is a dependent variable?

The response from your independent variable

What is a controlled variable?

Variables that are held constant

Failure to have a controlled variable could lead to?

confounding variables

What is a confounding variable?

potentially
variable that potentially impact the dependent variable but are not controlled

What are examples of confounding variables?

age, medical history, sex, etc

What is a control group

basis for comparison

What can you give a control group?

Placebo or sham manipulated

What’s the importance of replication?

ensure reliability and able to study multiple individuals within a group

What is Statistical significance?

Measure of the possibility results were due to chance (p value)

What does p>.05 means?

the probability the results are due to chance is less than 5%

What is the accepted p value in medical field?

.01

What is the general accepted p value?

.05

What is scientific theory?

observations that are supported by a wide body of evidence

What should you never do with a hypothesis?

never prove it to be true in order for new technology or more research to improve the explanation

What is science?

methodical approach to explain the world around us using facts, data, and evidence

What can we use scientific knowledge for?

to develop or support opinions

What are critical-thinking skills for?

to analyze info and make wise decisions

What is pseudoscience?

scientific-sounding claims with no actual scientific evidence

What is anecdotal observation?

the experience of a single individual

What must a scientific reports do before being published?

peer-reviewed

What is peer reviewed?

evaluation and critiqued by experts in the field

What is the value of peer review?

provides credibility, increase repeatability, eliminates bias, and expands upon the interpretation

What is paraphrasing?

condensing info in your own words