Basics of Research Methods for Everyone 3700-AZ-FAK-PMN
The aim of the course is to show the relationship between the four fundamental ideas of scientific cognition and their often erroneous implementation in practice. In the course of the course, we will look at the achievement (and failure) of what we will call the ideas of the ("trueness, "precision", "university" and "simplicity") both in science and in every human attempt to know reality. We will work on real reports on the state of knowledge about the world, i.e. analyze the methodological correctness (meeting the “4 rules”) of academic articles and popular texts.
We will try to show that errors in research practice result not only from ignorance of the four basic principles describing good science, but also from erroneous, purely superficial understanding of these principles, despite their apparent knowledge ("scientific cargo cult").
A significant part of the area of interest of contemporary empirical science is the zone of uncertainty and approximations - the probabilistic nature calculated in today's scientific view of the world is an additional impediment to the full understanding and implementation of the ideal of scientific correctness. So we will devote a lot of time to probabilistic reformulation of the classical understanding of the four classical ideas of science.
Type of course
Prerequisites (description)
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
. knowledge
After completing the classes, the participant should:
1.1 know the basic axioms of the scientific approach to the description of reality
1.2 know what are the limitations of this approach, distinguish areas of uncertainty and doubt
2. skills
After completing the classes, the participant should be able to apply the above knowledge:
2.1 in scientific practice - when analyzing own research
2.2 in scientific practice and, more broadly, in everyday life - when reading and using scientific or popular articles
3. social competences
The participant of the classes should after their completion
3.1 be able to independently transfer the knowledge and skills acquired in the course of the classes
Assessment criteria
critical methodological analysis of the selected text
Bibliography
Gell-Mann Murray (1996) Kwark i Jaguar. Warszawa: CIS
Karl Popper (2002) Logika odkrycia naukowego. Warszawa: Aletheia
Wieczorkowska, G. (2003). Statystyka. Wprowadzenie do analizy danych sondażowych i eksperymentalnych. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar.
Gohen. J. Stewart J. (1994) Załamanie chaosu. Odkrywanie prostoty w złożonym świecie. Warszawa: Prószyński i S-ka.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: