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Scientific Communication

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Title: Foundations of Biology Subject: DNA Technology Author: T. G. Standish Last modified by: Ching, Kathy (LLU) Created Date: 1/23/1998 11:00:09 PM – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Scientific Communication


1
Scientific Communication
  • Timothy G. Standish, Ph. D.

2
Communication Is Central To Science
  • The best use of the scientific method in
    discovering the truth about nature is wasted if
    the information is not communicated to others.
  • Much of the information that is generated by
    scientists, because of its complex nature, is
    open to multiple misunderstandings and
    misinterpretations
  • Because of this, scientists have developed a
    simple, but precise way of communicating with
    other scientists.

3
Ockhams RazorThe law of economy or parsimony
  • When looking at data, it is usually possible to
    come up with a number of different theories, some
    of which are more complicated than others
  • Scientists generally agree that the most simple
    theory or explanation of data is most probably
    true
  • This preference for the most simple theory is
    called Ockhams Razor, the law of economy or
    parsimony
  • William of Ockham was a 14th century English monk
    to whom Entia non sunt multiplicanda entia
    praeter necessitatem (Dont multiply entities
    except by necessity) is attributed
  • Others including Aristotle had invoked this
    principle before Ockham, but he stands out for
    his repeated and sharp use of the razor

4
The Scientific Method
Beliefs
Hypothesis
5
The Scientific MethodDoes Not Always Provide
Definitive Answers
6
Separating Data and Theory
  • With all the room for misunderstanding of
    science, it is vital that data and theory be kept
    as clearly distinct as possible.
  • In scientific papers, different sections are used
    for data and theory. To clearly communicate what
    has been learned, it is vital that these two
    factors not be mixed together.

7
Parts of a Scientific Paper(Laboratory Report)
  • Introduction - The current state of science on
    the question being addressed
  • Methods - Exactly what was done
  • Results - Exactly what was observed
  • Discussion - The authors interpretation of the
    Results
  • Interpretation Introduction and Discussion
  • Data Methods and Results

8
The Style of Scientific Papers
  • Scientific papers are generally written in the
    third person
  • Avoiding the use of personal pronouns
    de-emphasizes who the author is
  • In a perfect world, the emphasis in science is
    first on data, second on interpretation and
    finally on the authority who is writing the paper

9
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