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Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World
Scientists have been debating for centuries the nature of proper scientific methods. Currently, criticisms being thrown at data-intensive science are reinvigorating these debates. However, many of these criticisms represent long-standing conflicts over the role of hypothesis testing in science and n...
Autores principales: | , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Oxford University Press
2016
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5862324/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29599533 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw115 |
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author | Elliott, Kevin C. Cheruvelil, Kendra S. Montgomery, Georgina M. Soranno, Patricia A. |
author_facet | Elliott, Kevin C. Cheruvelil, Kendra S. Montgomery, Georgina M. Soranno, Patricia A. |
author_sort | Elliott, Kevin C. |
collection | PubMed |
description | Scientists have been debating for centuries the nature of proper scientific methods. Currently, criticisms being thrown at data-intensive science are reinvigorating these debates. However, many of these criticisms represent long-standing conflicts over the role of hypothesis testing in science and not just a dispute about the amount of data used. Here, we show that an iterative account of scientific methods developed by historians and philosophers of science can help make sense of data-intensive scientific practices and suggest more effective ways to evaluate this research. We use case studies of Darwin's research on evolution by natural selection and modern-day research on macrosystems ecology to illustrate this account of scientific methods and the innovative approaches to scientific evaluation that it encourages. We point out recent changes in the spheres of science funding, publishing, and education that reflect this richer account of scientific practice, and we propose additional reforms. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-5862324 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2016 |
publisher | Oxford University Press |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-58623242018-03-29 Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World Elliott, Kevin C. Cheruvelil, Kendra S. Montgomery, Georgina M. Soranno, Patricia A. Bioscience Forum Scientists have been debating for centuries the nature of proper scientific methods. Currently, criticisms being thrown at data-intensive science are reinvigorating these debates. However, many of these criticisms represent long-standing conflicts over the role of hypothesis testing in science and not just a dispute about the amount of data used. Here, we show that an iterative account of scientific methods developed by historians and philosophers of science can help make sense of data-intensive scientific practices and suggest more effective ways to evaluate this research. We use case studies of Darwin's research on evolution by natural selection and modern-day research on macrosystems ecology to illustrate this account of scientific methods and the innovative approaches to scientific evaluation that it encourages. We point out recent changes in the spheres of science funding, publishing, and education that reflect this richer account of scientific practice, and we propose additional reforms. Oxford University Press 2016-10-01 2016-10-09 /pmc/articles/PMC5862324/ /pubmed/29599533 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw115 Text en © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com. |
spellingShingle | Forum Elliott, Kevin C. Cheruvelil, Kendra S. Montgomery, Georgina M. Soranno, Patricia A. Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title | Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title_full | Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title_fullStr | Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title_full_unstemmed | Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title_short | Conceptions of Good Science in Our Data-Rich World |
title_sort | conceptions of good science in our data-rich world |
topic | Forum |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5862324/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29599533 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw115 |
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