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| public:rem4:rem4-16:course_overview [2016/08/18 16:13] – [Research Concepts / Definitions] thorisson2 | public:rem4:rem4-16:course_overview [2024/04/29 13:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| ====Research Concepts / Definitions==== | ==== Science, Technology, Philosophy, Mathematics ==== |
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| | | Philosophy | A systematic investigation into any phenomenon. Fundamental principle: Human reasoning and creativity. | |
| | | Science | A systematic investigation into phenomena in the natural world susceptible to physical experimentation. Fundamentally inductive. | |
| | | Technology | Tools and techniques for getting things done. Fundamental principle: Composition. | |
| | | Mathematics | A systematic study of quantity, numbers, patterns, and their relationships. Fundamentally deductive. | |
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| | ====Scientific Research Concepts / Definitions==== |
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| | Theory (isl. kenning) | "A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena." [[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=theory|REF]] \\ A theory is a relatively big explanation, covering several phenomena, often through a single principle, or a set of simple principles. | | | Theory (isl. kenning) | "A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena." [[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=theory|REF]] \\ A theory is a relatively big explanation, covering several phenomena, often through a single principle, or a set of simple principles. | |
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| ====The Scientific Method: The Comparative Experiment==== | ====The Scientific Method: The Comparative Experiment==== |
| | Identification, description and formalization of phenomenon | 1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. | | | Identification, description and formalization of phenomenon | 1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena. | |
| | Creation of experimental setup to test hypothesis | 3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations. | | | Creation of experimental setup to test hypothesis | 3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations. | |
| | Performance of experiment, collection and analysis of results | 4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments. Basic assumption: Repeatability Can be repeated by anyone anywhere | | | Performance of experiment, collection and analysis of results | 4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments. Basic assumption: Repeatability Can be repeated by anyone anywhere | |
| | Repeatability requires formal framework |D etailed description, clear goals, clear (limited) scope, hence the formalities in their execution | | | Repeatability requires formal framework | Detailed description, clear goals, clear (limited) scope, hence the formalities in their execution | |
| | Key idea: Comparsion | Baseline collected in same experimental setup without any other intervention by experimenter | | | Key idea: Comparsion | Baseline collected in same experimental setup without any other intervention by experimenter | |
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| ====The Scientific Method: Theories (Philosophy of Science) ==== | ====Theories of the Scientific Method (Philosophy of Science) ==== |
| | A scientific theory ties up loose ends | A good scientific theory shows how data connects. | | | A scientific theory ties up loose ends | A good scientific theory shows how data connects. | |
| | A scientific theory predicts | A good scientific theory can be used to predict known and unknown results. | | | A scientific theory predicts | A good scientific theory can be used to predict known and unknown results. | |
| | A scientific theory predicts new things | A good scientific theory enables us to know about the unknown; the more detailed the theory (in some sense "better") the more detailed its predictions. | | | A scientific theory predicts new things | A good scientific theory enables us to know about the unknown; the more detailed the theory (in some sense "better") the more detailed its predictions. | |
| | A scientific theory can produce new hypotheses | A good scientific theory helps us do more experiments by being a source of hypothesis creation | | | A scientific theory can produce new hypotheses | A good scientific theory helps us do more experiments by being a source of hypothesis creation. | |
| | A scientific theory "tells a story" | A good scientific theory explains how data relates | | | A scientific theory "tells a story" | A good scientific theory explains how data relates. | |
| | A scientific theory gives us the big picture | A good scientific theory relates together in a coherent way some part of the world -- the bigger the part, the better the theory. | | | A scientific theory gives us the big picture | A good scientific theory relates together in a coherent way some part of the world -- the bigger the part, the better the theory. | |
| | A scientific theory explains | The more completely and the more simply it explains things, the better the theory is | | | A scientific theory explains | The more completely and the more simply it explains things, the better the theory is | |
| ====Scientific Method: Independent of Topic==== | ====Scientific Method: Independent of Topic==== |
| | The scientific method is independent of topic... | One can study **any phenomenon** with the scientific method, including claims of telepathy; selection of topic is independent of science -- there is nothing inherently "unscientific" about studying any subject. (Close-mindedness //is//, however, unscientific.) | | | The scientific method is independent of topic... | One can study **any phenomenon** with the scientific method, including claims of telepathy; selection of topic is independent of science -- there is nothing inherently "unscientific" about studying any subject. (Close-mindedness //is//, however, unscientific.) | |
| | ... yet methodology varies significantly by field |For example: \\ - Illegal to make experiments on living human brains \\ - Difficult to make comparative studies in sociology | | | ... yet methodology varies significantly by field |For example: \\ - Illegal to make experiments on living human brains \\ - Difficult to make comparative studies in sociology. | |
| | Computer Science | Direct testing of applications and programs \\ Models and simulations \\ User-driven studies \\ Logical and mathematical proofs | | | Computer Science | Direct testing of applications and programs. \\ Models and simulations. \\ User-driven studies \\ Logical and mathematical proofs. | |
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| ====Experimental Design==== | ====Experimental Design==== |
| | Sorting out variables |Independent variables: These are factors that need to be controlled for the results to be more intelligible. Example: If we want to study the efficiency speedup seen by a new multi-cultural word processor we would want to have all or some of the cultures represented when we do the study. | | | Sorting out variables | Independent variables: These are factors that need to be controlled for the results to be more intelligible. Example: If we want to study the efficiency speedup seen by a new multi-cultural word processor we would want to have all - or at least some (not just one) - of the cultures represented when we do the study. | |
| | Dependent variables: | These are "the things we want to measure", e.g. the speedup seen with the new word processor.| | | Dependent variables | These are "the things we want to measure", e.g. the speedup seen with the new word processor.| |
| | Designing the experiment | How do we measure the dependent variables? \\ How do we control the independent variables? \\ What are the hypotheses? \\ How will we run the experiment?| | | Designing the experiment | How do we measure the dependent variables? \\ How do we control the independent variables? \\ What are the hypotheses? \\ How will we run the experiment? | |
| | Collecting data, analyzing results | | | | Collecting data, analyzing results | Running experiments. \\ Reading from sensors. \\ Running through statistical methods to separate signal from noise. \\ etc. | |
| | Writing up of the data |... in scientific papers | | | Writing up of the data |... in scientific papers and technical reports. | |
| | Submission | to journals, conferences, workshops | | | Submission | to scientific outlets, e.g. journals, conferences, workshops, etc. | |
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| | Related work |A concise yet thorough explanation of what others have done and its relation to what you have done. This motivates your work described in this paper. | | | Related work |A concise yet thorough explanation of what others have done and its relation to what you have done. This motivates your work described in this paper. | |
| | Description of work |Your contribution - What you did. | | | Description of work |Your contribution - What you did. | |
| | | Results |What the measured readings were. | |
| | Summary or Conclusions |A summary summarizes what has been said. It is different from the abstract in that the motivation is typically not restated. Conclusions describe the conclusions drawn. Some (especially longer) papers have both these sections.| | | Summary or Conclusions |A summary summarizes what has been said. It is different from the abstract in that the motivation is typically not restated. Conclusions describe the conclusions drawn. Some (especially longer) papers have both these sections.| |
| | Acknowledgments |You probably got some help on your paper. Make sure you thank those who helped you! | | | Acknowledgments |You probably got some help on your paper. Make sure you thank those who helped you! | |
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| ====Theses==== | ====Theses==== |
| | Not very different from standard scientific publications | The scientific paper provides the basic model | | | Not very different from standard scientific publications | The scientific paper provides the basic model | |
