Unit 3 Flashcards
What is Science?
Science is the gathering and organization of testable and reproducible knowledge.
In Science what is the norm?
Refinement of ideas.
What can scientific knowledge be thought of as?
Current best explanation.
What can scientific knowledge’s best explanation be updated after?
Evaluation of further experimental evidence.
State the stages in the Scientific Cycle.
- Observation
- Constructing a testable hypothesis
- Experimental design
- Gathering, recording, and analysis of data from the experiment.
- Evaluation of results and conclusion
What may the Scientific Cycle lead to?
The new or refined hypothesis meaning the cycle continues.
What does the Null Hypothesis of an experiment propose?
That there will be no statistically significant effect as a result of the experimental treatment.
Up until when is the Null Hypothesis generally assumed true?
Until evidence proves otherwise.
What can the Null Hypothesis be used to do?
Design an experiment to investigate a possible effect.
When is the Null Hypothesis rejected?
If there is evidence for an effect unlikely due to chance.
State the Null Hypothesis for both of these experiments.
1) If you measure the surface area of the feet of a male and female chicken.
2) If you feed chocolate to chickens and look at the results of the sex ratio.
1) The average surface area in the male chicken feet is the same as the average surface area in the female chicken.
2) There is no effect of feeding chocolate to chickens on the resulting sex ratio
All data should be gathered and recorded accurately in what?
Data Tables
In Data tables you should be consistent in what and what?
decimal places and units
How can data be analysed?
Calculations or by presenting it in Graphical form
What does data analysed in graphical form allow people to see?
See any trends in Variables.
Why is a statistical analysis carried out?
to see trends in variables and prove the result is not due to chance.
When is the failure to find a long term (negative result) effect a valid finding?
As long as an experiment is designed.
How can conflicting data or conclusions be resolved?
Through careful evaluation
What can conflicting data or conclusions lead to?
further more creative experimentation
Knowledge of NEGATIVE RESULTS is Important because?
Prevent needless duplication of results
Present a more realistic representation of the “messy” nature of scientific research
Can lead to a realisation of flaws in well-established science
Can inspire others to alter the experiment and gain positive results
When do scientific ideas become accepted?
once they have been independently checked
How are ‘one of results’ treated with?
Caution
Why is it essential to take independent repeats of the experiments?
As one of results treated with caution.
Describe how repetition should be carried out?
At a different time with a completely new set of chemicals and equipment
What does scientific literature and communication allow?
Findings to be shared with others to further research
What should scientific communication include?
Method
Data
Analysis
Conclusion
Why should scientific communication include Method
, Data, Analysis & Conclusion?
allows other to repeat the experiment
Name some common methods of sharing original scientific findings.
Seminar (a presentation followed by questions and discussion, usually within a team or with researchers in the same field)
Talks (a presentation to a wider audience)
Posters at conferences (an illustrated summary of research)
Publishing in academic journals
What does the end product of science tend to be?
The publication of scientific journal articles
Most of the scientific population use what type of review?
PEER
What is peer review?
Peer review is a process where:
Peer review is a quality control process allowing readers of peer-reviewed journals to make assumptions about the quality of the science.
specialists with expertise in the relevant field assess the scientific quality of a submitted manuscript.
specialists make recommendations regarding the suitability of the article for publication.
Why is the peer-review process is slow to accept radical new ideas?
since the peer reviewers tend to be those who are already established in that field.
What is ‘mental inertia’?
the peer-review process is slow to accept radical new ideas since the peer reviewers tend to be those who are already established in that field.
This is known as mental inertia and it can take many years for new ideas to become established as fact.
Why are review articles useful?
Review articles are a really useful tool to gain a broader understanding of a particular area because they summarise current knowledge and recent findings in a particular field.
There is increasing interest in science and a corresponding increase in scientific coverage in the wider media. What in the media is common?
The misrepresentation of science
How do we combat the misrepresentation of science in the media?
By trying to increase the population’s scientific evaluation skills
While judgements and interpretations of scientific evidence may be disputed, What are of key importance in science.
integrity and honesty
How can honesty and integrity be maintained in science?
By reporting unbiased presentation of results, citing and providing references and avoiding plagiarism.
What reduces the opportunity for dishonesty or the deliberate misuse of science?
The replication of experiments by others
What is plagerism?
Passing off another person’s writing or ideas as your own is plagiarism.
To distinguish between original work and ideas that have already been published, what are scientists required to do?
Cite and supply references.
Replication of experiments by others reduces the opportunity for what?
Dishonesty.
The publication of original findings requires the publication of what?
Full methods
What is operational replication
Other scientists can then repeat the same experiment. This is known as operational replication – the exact repetition of an experiment by another scientist.
Replication reduces the chances of deliberate misuse of what?
science.
Animals are often used in biological studies, when using animals scientists have a duty to do what?
Scientists have a duty to ensure animal suffering is kept to a minimum.
What are the 3 R’s when dealing with animals in experiments?
Replacement – the use of animals should be replaced with alternatives as often as possible.
Reduction – the number of animals used in a study should be reduced as much as possible.
Refinement – for those animals being used, the negative impact on them should be minimised.
The 3 R’s are used to do?
avoid, reduce or minimize the harm to animals.
Clinical trials often use humans. What should be considered when using humans in experiments?
Informed consent – participants should be given details of the study and the opportunity to decline to take part.
Right to withdraw – participants should have the option to withdraw their consent to participate right up until publication of the data.
Confidentiality – any data gathered should be anonymous in order to protect the rights of participants.
Any scientific research on living organisms should be what?
justified
any risks in completing the research should be assessed. This includes taking into account the risk to and safety of what?
subject species, individuals , investigators and the environment.
What is the definition of legislation?
laws governing various aspects of science. Legislation limits the potential for the misuse of studies and data.
What can influence Scientific research?
Legislation, regulation, policy and funding
The value or quality of science investigations must be justifiable in terms of what?
the benefits of its outcome, including the pursuit of scientific knowledge.
As a result of the risks involved, many areas of scientific research are highly what?
regulated and licensed by governments.
Define Validity?
Validity - Variables controlled so that any measured effect is likely to be due to the independent variable.
Define reliability?
Reliability – consistent values in repeats and independent replicates.
Define Accuracy?
Accuracy – data, or means of data sets, are close to the true value.
Describe Precision?
Precision – measured values are close to each other.
What is a pilot study used to help plan?
Integral to the development of any investigation, a pilot study is used to help plan procedures, assess validity and check techniques.
What do pilot studies allow (in terms of experimental design
This allows the evaluation and modification of experimental design.
The use of a pilot study can insure and allows investigators to do what?
The use of a pilot study can ensure an appropriate range of values for the independent variable.
In addition, it allows the investigator to establish the number of repeat measurements required to give representative values
Advantages of Pilot studies.
Allows new protocol to be developed
Appropriate range values for the independent variable
Always practice established protocol
Avoid results from the dependent variable going “off the scale”
Checks whether results can be produced in a suitable time frame
Allows the number of repeat measurements to be estimated
Allows identification of compounding variables which need to controlled
What is the independent variable?
The independent variable is the variable that is changed in a scientific experiment.
What is the dependent variable?
The dependent variable is the variable being measured in a scientific experiment.
By varying the independent variable and monitoring its effect on the dependent variable we seek to prove or disprove what?
Hypothesis
The effect of a dependent variable can be continuous. What does continuous mean?
Anywhere in a range of values
The effect of a dependent variable can be discrete. What does discrete mean?
Falls into 2 or more distinct categories
Experiments involve the manipulation of the independent variable by the investigator.
True or False
True
The experiment treatment group is compared to what other type of group
Control
What is a simple experiment?
A simple experiment is one where only one independent variable is investigated e.g. measuring the effect of temperature on enzyme activity
Advantage of a simple experiment.
An advantage is that it is easy to control conditions of the laboratory and so allows the experiment to be conducted more easily than in the field.