Basic methodological tools for scientific research.
Philosophy of science provides basic methodological tools for scientific research. In this workshop we will explore how we arrive at scientific knowledge, how hypotheses are tested, how scientific theories evolve, what science distinguishes from pseudoscience, and how sci-ence contributes to the welfare of society. By examining case studies from different scientific disciplines we will have a closer look at scientific practices like observation, experiment, measurement, explanation, hypotheses testing, model building etc. The participants will be enabled to critically reflect scientific research and acquire interdisciplinary competence which will be useful for their own field of research.
Learning results:
- Competence in scientific reasoning
- Ability to critically reflect scientific research
- Understanding the methodological foundations of science
- Knowing the main philosophical theories of science
- Knowing the scope and limits of scientific models
- Ability to distinguish between science and pseudoscience
- Interdisciplinary competence
Main topics:
- Perception and observation
- Theory ladenness of observation
- Concept formation
- Experiment and measurement
- Inductive reasoning
- Testing of hypotheses
- Confirmation and falsification of hypotheses
- Scientific explanation
- Inference to the best explanation
- Conventionalism
- The Kuhn-Popper controversy
- Realism vs. anti-realism in science
- Social constructionism
- Sociology of science
Contact
Tatsiana Radziyeuskaya
Qualification management