SOC SCI H1G Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Scientific Method

• School: UC-Irvine
• Department: Social Science
• Course: SOC SCI H1G
• Professor: Jeff Barrettand Kyle Stanford

Document Summary

Systematic enterprise that builds & organizes knowledge in form of testable explanations & predictions about the universe. Way of understanding the world around us. Area of knowledge that people study & try to improve on. Use data to prove theories about the way that the world works. Science is dynamic in that it changes over time. Question, hypothesis (based on theory), gathering data, analysis, conclusion & then the cycle repeats itself. Element of peer review when science is published. Kuhn: fair assessment of science shows that we don"t even really rely on that. Work off of existing theories & incorporate existing theories into their conclusions. Other scientists will review each other"s work to see if it holds up. Keep their personal biases out of their experimentation so that it does not affect results. Scientists should not take anything for granted. Communicate information in language that is accurate. Bridge gap with normal people -> use language that people can understand.