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Scientific Methodology (scientific + methodology)
Selected AbstractsTHE HISTORY OF THE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY PROJECT IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, AND APPLYING NUCLEAR METHODS TO THE FINE ARTSARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2007G. HARBOTTLE This paper traces the events leading up to the formation of a project in 1954, in the Chemistry Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, dedicated to the application of those new developments that were rapidly transforming postwar nuclear science to the parallel humanistic disciplines of archaeology and the fine arts. The further evolution of this effort involved the enlightened support of the Department of Energy (then AEC and ERDA) coupled with the lively interests of the archaeological, fine-arts and art-historical communities, their professional academics and the many graduate and undergraduate students who participated in the Brookhaven project. But more than new scientific methodologies, concepts and instrumentation were deployed. What developed was a large-scale, truly interdisciplinary effort, where scholars of the humanities and sciences worked side by side in a remarkable way, each led by the other, to the mutual benefit and increase of their knowledge and understanding. A paradigm of co-operation between arts and sciences was initiated: this paper presents a record of the process and its outcome, a novel blending of science and humanism that is very much taken for granted by research workers today. [source] New and old trends in chemometrics.JOURNAL OF CHEMOMETRICS, Issue 8-10 2002How to deal with the increasing data volumes in R&D&P (research, development, process modeling, production), with examples from pharmaceutical research Abstract Chemometrics was started around 30 years ago to cope with and utilize the rapidly increasing volumes of data produced in chemical laboratories. The methods of early chemometrics were mainly focused on the analysis of data, but slowly we came to realize that it is equally important to make the data contain reliable information, and methods for design of experiments (DOE) were added to the chemometrics toolbox. This toolbox is now fairly adequate for solving most R&D problems of today in both academia and industry, as will be illustrated with a few examples. However, with the further increase in the size of our data sets, we start to see inadequacies in our multivariate methods, both in their efficiency and interpretability. Drift and non-linearities occur with time or in other directions in data space, and models with masses of coefficients become increasingly difficult to interpret and use. Starting from a few examples of some very complicated problems confronting chemical researchers today, possible extensions and generalizations of the existing chemometrics methods, as well as more appropriate preprocessing of the data before the analysis, will be discussed. Criteria such as scalability of methods to increasing size of problems and data, increasing sophistication in the handling of noise and non-linearities, interpretability of results, and relative simplicity of use will be held as important. The discussion will be made from a perspective of the evolution of the scientific methodology as driven by new technology, e.g. computers, and constrained by the limitations of the human brain, i.e. our ability to understand and interpret scientific and data analytical results. Quilt-PCA and Quilt-PLS presented here address and offer a possible solution to these problems. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The effectiveness of antipsychotic medication in the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilitiesJOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH, Issue 10 2007S. Deb Abstract Background Psychopharmacological intervention in the management of behaviour problems in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) has become a common treatment strategy. This has become a cause for concern, given that the evidence for its effectiveness is uncertain and most drugs are not licensed for this use. Methods A comprehensive systematic review of empirical research on the effectiveness of antipsychotic medication was conducted. Electronic and manual searches of literature were conducted. Stringent scientific methodology determined those primary trials that were worthy of inclusion. Results This review revealed one randomized controlled trial (RCT), one controlled, four uncontrolled prospective and three retrospective case series studies in adults. Additionally, two studies in both adults and children , one crossover RCT and one prospective controlled trial , were found. Conclusion Presently, there is RCT-based evidence for risperidone to be effective in both adults and children; however, this treatment carries a certain amount of risk associated with adverse effects. There is also evidence to support the use of other antipsychotics, primarily atypicals, but the evidence is based on noncontrolled case studies. There is currently not enough evidence available to recommend specific medication for specific behaviour problems. Before prescribing medication, clinicians should carry out a thorough assessment of behaviour, including its causes and consequences, and draw up a formulation providing the rationale for the prescribed intervention after considering all medication- and nonmedication-based management options. [source] The Legacy of Methodological DualismMIND & LANGUAGE, Issue 4 2007KENT JOHNSON Despite much opposition, methodological dualism abounds in contemporary thinking. In this paper, I treat linguistics as a scientific activity and explore some instances of dualism. By extracting some ubiquitous aspects of scientific methodology from its typically quantitative expression, I show that two recent instances of methodologically dualistic critiques of linguistics are ill-founded. I then show that there are nonetheless some divergences between linguistic and other ordinary scientific methods, reflecting yet a third instance of methodological dualism. [source] Social Inclusion: A Philosophical Anthropology1POLITICS, Issue 2 2005Dermot O'Reilly In this article the theoretical conflations associated with the concept of social exclusion are disaggregated into a number of competing versions in terms of their social scientific and normative bases. The types of policy, analysis and critique that are engendered by these conceptions of exclusion are examined for their underlying social scientific methodology. The disjunction between positive, interpretative and critical approaches to social exclusion can only satisfactorily be broached by a methodology utilising a critical realist framework. This framework requires the integration of a theorised dialectical linkage between inclusion and exclusion. The necessary conceptual prerequisites are outlined for modelling inclusion and exclusion in a substantive, contextually sensitive manner that enables critical assessment. [source] Introducing undergraduate students to scienceBIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, Issue 2 2010Paulo De Ávila Jr. Abstract Understanding the scientific method fosters the development of critical thinking and logical analysis of information. Additionally, proposing and testing a hypothesis is applicable not only to science, but also to ordinary facts of daily life. Knowing the way science is done and how its results are published is useful for all citizens and mandatory for science students. A 60-h course was created to offer undergraduate students a framework in which to learn the procedures of scientific production and publication. The course's main focus was biochemistry, and it was comprised of two modules. Module I dealt with scientific articles, and Module II with research project writing. Module I covered the topics: 1) the difference between scientific knowledge and common sense, 2) different conceptions of science, 3) scientific methodology, 4) scientific publishing categories, 5) logical principles, 6) deductive and inductive approaches, and 7) critical reading of scientific articles. Module II dealt with 1) selection of an experimental problem for investigation, 2) bibliographic revision, 3) materials and methods, 4) project writing and presentation, 5) funding agencies, and 6) critical analysis of experimental results. The course adopted a collaborative learning strategy, and each topic was studied through activities performed by the students. Qualitative and quantitative course evaluations with Likert questionnaires were carried out at each stage, and the results showed the students' high approval of the course. The staff responsible for course planning and development also evaluated it positively. The Biochemistry Department of the Chemistry Institute of the University of São Paulo has offered the course four times. [source] Alexander von Humboldt,The Explorer and the Scientist,CENTAURUS, Issue 1 2007Eberhard Knobloch On 3 August 1804, he arrived again in Bordeaux, France. This article deals with five aspects of this famous journey: the itinerary of the American journey; scientific aims: Humboldt's journeys and scientific activities were two sides of the same coin; methodology: Humboldt explained in detail his positivistic scientific methodology in his treatise On the isothermal lines and the distribution of heat on the earth (1817); achievements and results: the old Humboldt claimed only three merits: the geography of plants, the theory of isothermal lines, and geomagnetism; the isotherms as a case study: Humboldt spoke at great length about errors, limits, and advantages of the method of mean values. [source] | ||||||||||