Features of science

• What are the six features of science?

  Empirical methods, objectivity, replicability, theory construction, hypothesis testing, falsifiability
• What is the empirical method?

  Objectivity = basis of the empirical method of gaining knowledge relying on direct observation and testing
• What is objectivity?

  When all sources of personal bias are minimised so as not to distort or influence the research process.
• What is replicability?

  The extent to which scientific procedures and findings can be repeated by other researchers - increases the reliability and validity of a study
• What is theory construction?

  Explanations or theories must be constructed to make sense of facts - a theory is a collection of general principles that explain observations and facts
• What is hypothesis testing?

  Process of modifying theories by testing their validity - if a scientist fails to find support for a hypothesis, the theory requires modification
• What is falsifiability?

  The possibility that a statement or hypothesis can be proved wrong
• Why is falsifiability important in science?

  Karl Popper believed the only way to prove a theory correct was to seek disproof (falsification)
• What is a paradigm?

  A set of shared assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline
• What is a paradigm shift?

  The result of a scientific revolution - a significant change in the dominant unifying theory within a scientific discipline
• What is an example of a paradigm shift in science?

  A revolution in our understanding of the universe due to work of a Polish astronomer - overthrew belief that the Earth was the centre of the universe