features of science

• paradigm refers to a set of assumptions and agreed methods within a scientific discipline
• a paradigm shift occurs when there is an overwhelming amount of evidence which contradicts the already existing paradigm, so the existing paradigm is broken down and replaced with a new one
• objectivity means that the researcher is not biased and is not influenced by personal feelings or opinions
• the empirical method is when scientific approaches are based on observation and experimentation, rather than on theoretical assumptions
• a theory cannot be considered scientific unless it admits the probability of being untrue (false)
• replicability refers to the extent to which the results of a study can be repeated by other researchers