Best Research PracticesClearly explains how to plan and carry out reliable experiments, how to conceive and circumstantially support research hypotheses, how to test research hypotheses, how to discover cause and effect, and more. For students and practitioners in all fields of the physical, life, earth, social, and engineering sciences. Contains more than 150 illustrative research examples from all fields. Based on Professor Romesburg's examination of 5,000 top scientific articles, studying the methods used to produce reliable knowledge. See the book's first page explaining the blind peer review of the book that was commissioned and paid for by the author's academic department; see the book's back cover for peer reviewer comments. To read most of it, go to Google Book Search (http://books.google.com/) and enter this: Romesburg Best Research Practices - then click on the book. |
Contents
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45 The benefits of having control groups in HD tests | 110 |
46 How to test hypotheses economically | 113 |
47 How progress in science depends on both the retroductive method and the HD method | 125 |
48 Why researchers have to be good at using both the retroductive method and the HD method | 131 |
49 How to present HD tests to an audience | 132 |
410 What the word theory means | 135 |
How to discover cause and effect | 137 |
51 The direct method of discovering cause and effect | 138 |
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28 The advantages of standard constructs | 27 |
29 Systematic errors dont always cancel out in comparative experiments | 29 |
210 How to minimize systematic error | 32 |
211 How to determine the proper sample size for experiments | 33 |
212 How to reward your collaborating statistician | 38 |
213 Experiments that do not involve sample units | 41 |
214 Three questions that researchers describing their experiments must answer | 42 |
216 About qualitative facts | 43 |
217 The place of experimental facts in Pplane diagrams | 44 |
How to conceive and circumstantially support research hypotheses | 47 |
31 What research hypotheses are | 49 |
32 The retroductive method as practiced in everyday affairs | 51 |
33 How to use the retroductive method to conceive research hypotheses | 52 |
34 How to use the question method and the subject method to conceive research hypotheses | 55 |
35 How to recursively conceive and evaluate research hypotheses | 57 |
36 Assembling circumstantial evidence that amounts to a smoking gun | 63 |
37 Mechanistic research hypotheses | 67 |
38 The method of multiple working hypotheses | 71 |
39 Picturing the role of research hypotheses in science | 73 |
310 A list of research examples | 75 |
How to test research hypotheses | 87 |
41 Everyday examples of the HD method | 88 |
42 The five steps of testing any research hypothesis | 93 |
43 A list of research examples illustrating the HD method | 97 |
44 The benefits of performing multiple HD tests of a hypothesis | 106 |
52 The indirect method of discovering cause and effect | 142 |
53 The importance of minimizing systematic and random errors in causeeffect research | 152 |
54 How the indirect method has a good deal going for it | 153 |
55 Pseudoscientific claims of cause and effect | 154 |
56 Reciprocal causeeffect relations | 156 |
How to decide if chance can easily produce that interesting fact | 157 |
62 The baserate method of testing the hypothesis of chance | 166 |
63 Where the hypothesis of chance cannot be tested | 168 |
How to discover knowledge by building and using reasoning models | 175 |
71 Using reasoning models to predict facts | 176 |
72 Using reasoning models to explain a fact | 181 |
73 Using reasoning models to do thought experiments | 186 |
How to discover knowledge by building and using computer simulation models | 193 |
82 Using computer simulation models to predict facts | 195 |
83 Using computer simulation models to explain processes of nature | 196 |
84 Using computer simulation models to do thought experiments | 197 |
85 How to make computer simulation models be as reliable as they can be | 199 |
How to minimize the ethical biases in research | 209 |
Why the funding of basic research must be increased | 213 |
102 How basic research brings nonmaterial benefits | 215 |
Tips on how to become a better researcher | 217 |
Review of statistical terms | 219 |
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Common terms and phrases
basic research best research practices Big Bang cause-effect chapter circumstantial evidence computer simulation models conceive conclusion confidence interval control group correlation corroborated crucial experiment deduced equation estimate explain false g-force H-D method H-D test hypothesis is true hypothesis of chance hypothetico-deductive method Imagine indirect method input variables interesting fact iridium Jacques Cousteau kleptoparasites knowledge Littlewood's Law mean minimizing systematic error miracle model predicts P-plane diagram percent permutations population possible pre-measurement stage predicted fact proper sample protocols pteranodon pterosaur quantitative facts question method random error random sample randomly reasoning models reliable research examples research hypotheses retroductive method Romesburg sample units scientists shunt causes snowball Earth sources of systematic standard error standard error interval statement of accuracy statistical statistician steps Suppose surface area systematic error test prediction test the hypothesis theory thinking thought experiments Vacutainer weight