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Full Description
In a time when the role of science in society is under threat, this book provides a timely and accessible text that can be used to learn or teach both the theory and practices of science, and how they are interconnected. The first chapters introduce the major approaches to the philosophy of science using simple language and examples that are easy to understand. The chapters that follow build on philosophy of science to explain science practices such as publication, bibliometrics, experiments, the use of statistics, research ethics, and the academic career. The book emphasizes how and why science is the most reliable source of knowledge and how society is dependent on science to make informed decisions. It primarily targets science students but is also accessible to general readers interested in understanding how science works. It is ideal as a textbook for intermediate-advanced students majoring in any science (or engineering) subject.
Contents
Preface; 1. What's so special about science?; 1.1 'I Could be wrong'; 1.2 Is there anything out there?; 1.3 Making the subjective objective; 1.4 Facts and theory; 1.5 'Follow the science'; 1.6 Understanding science; 2. Observation-driven science; 2.1 Mary's butterflies; 2.2 Early empiricism: Francis Bacon; 2.3 Later empiricism: the positivists; 2.4 The limitations of empiricism; 2.5 The place of empiricism in science; 3. Hypothesis-driven science: Falsificationism; 3.1 Mary's butterflies; 3.2 Karl Popper and falsificationism; 3.3 Mechanisms and change; 3.4 Ad hoc hypotheses; 4. Hypothesis-driven science: limitations and alternatives; 4.1 The limitations of hypothesis-testing; 4.2 The place of hypothesis-testing in science; 5. Paradigm-driven science; 5.1 Mary's butterflies; 5.2 The philosophy of paradigms: Thomas Kuhn; 5.3 The limitations of paradigms; 5.4 The place of paradigms in science; 6. Science as a social activity; 6.1 Mary's butterflies; 6.2 Public knowledge; 6.3 A social definition of science; 7. Synthesis; 7.1 What do you mean by 'science'?; 7.2 Search for consensus as a line of demarcation; 7.3 Being scientific; 7.4 The web of trust; 8. Science in practice: publishing; 8.1 The publication process; 8.2 Citations and impact factors: bibliometrics; 9. Science in practice: data; 9. 1 Scientific data in the light of philosophy; 9.2 Dealing with variation; 9.3 Reviews and meta-analyses; 9.4 Combining evidence: an example; 10. Science in practice: academia; 10.1 Academia and the competent researcher; 10.2 Academic freedom; 10.3 Funding; 10.4 Ethics in science; 10.5 Science outside of the academy; 11. Epilogue; Index; References.
