Criteria of scientific propositions

Question 1

What is the criteria of scientific propositions?

Answer 1

1- logical consistency
2-testability
3-scope
4-simplicity
5-conservatism
6-fruitfullness
7-novelty

Question 2

poem to remember the criteria

Answer 2

lucy, tilney, stays, serving, cunt, forever, newb.

Question 3

what are the 3 types of logical consistency

Answer 3

deduction
induction
abduction

Question 4

what is deduction (logical consistency)

Answer 4

• infer a proposition about a single case using a general principle.

Question 5

what is induction

Answer 5

infer/ assume a general statement from a single case.

Question 6

what is abduction

Answer 6

infer the most plausible principle from a few cases eg the most likely explaination.

Question 7

what types of logical inference produces a convincing argument and what one produces a possible reality.

Answer 7

deduction and induction = convincing argument.
abduction = possible relaity (less convincing)

Question 8

what is testability

Answer 8

scientific propositions (hypothesis) need to be testable.

Question 9

what is scope

Answer 9

This means the general validity of a proposition.
-eg this banana is yellow- its true but minimal scope cause it only applies to that one banana however saying ripe cavendish bananas are yellow has maximal scope and is true.

Question 10

what is fruitfulness

Answer 10

the broader implications of a scientific proposition beyond the research question.

Question 11

what is novelty

Answer 11

This is how new and surprising a proposition is.
Reserach that discovers new and surprising things is more valuable and novel then reserach that proves things we already know.

Question 12

what is simplicity and the other word for it

Answer 12

parsimony
- its the idea that propositions with less assumptions are better as each assumption has risk of being wrong.
so parsimonious (simplistic) propositions are better because there are fewer risks.
This is explained also by occams razor

Question 13

what is occams razor

Answer 13

the idea that you should exclude all unnecassery assumptions from a proposition.

Question 14

what is conservatism

Answer 14

This is when a proposition does not involve any new, unproven assumptions and are consistent with exisitng knowledge.
its good when propositions are conservative as existing knowledge is likely to be correct.

Question 15

how to word conservatism and novelty
and why is there tension between these two things.

Answer 15

the discovery that a whale is a mammal and not a fish was very surprising and novel. It was not concervative as it went against existing knowledge of whales being a type of fish.
There is tension between these two things because they can not both be true at the same time so oppose eachother.

Question 16

what is a theory

Answer 16

A set of related statements (propositions) that explain a variety of
occurrences (“things”)

Question 17

what is cogency and what gives you it.

Answer 17

how convincing and strong your scientific proof is. Logical consistency and testability define the cogency of your propositions

Question 18

what effects the impact of your research and what does impact mean

Answer 18

the contribution of your research in answering important questions or raising new questions. Impact is determined by scope, fruitfulness and novelty of your research.

Question 19

what is plausability and what effects it

Answer 19

likelihood that a proposition is true even if proofs are incomplete.
This is determined by conservatism and simplicity.