Examining the impact of sexism on evaluations of social scientific evidence in discrimination litigation.

PubMed

Kim, Anita; Tidwell, Natasha

2014-12-01

The present 2 studies involved undergraduate participants and investigated whether various types of sexism and other correlated predictors, such as political conservatism and scientific discounting, can predict people's evaluations of social science research on sex stereotypes, sexism, and sex discrimination. In Study 1, participants high in hostile sexism, scientific discounting, and/or political conservatism were more critical of scientific studies that provided evidence for sexism than identical studies showing null results. Study 2 showed that participants high in modern sexism, hostile sexism, and political conservatism evaluated social scientific studies more negatively; in addition, assessments of social scientific evidence quality mediated the effect of modern sexism on admissibility ratings (b = -0.15, z = -4.16, p = .00). Overall, these results suggest that sexist beliefs can bias one's judgments of social scientific evidence. Future research should explore whether the same psychological processes operate for judges and jurors as they evaluate the admissibility of evidence and examine ways to attenuate the effect of sexism on evaluations. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Students' Evaluations about Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Doug; Brandt, Carol B.; Bickel, Elliot S.; Burg, Colin

2016-01-01

Scientists regularly evaluate alternative explanations of phenomena and solutions to problems. Students should similarly engage in critical evaluation when learning about scientific and engineering topics. However, students do not often demonstrate sophisticated evaluation skills in the classroom. The purpose of the present study was to…

Performance Evaluation of an Online Argumentation Learning Assistance Agent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chenn-Jung; Wang, Yu-Wu; Huang, Tz-Hau; Chen, Ying-Chen; Chen, Heng-Ming; Chang, Shun-Chih

2011-01-01

Recent research indicated that students' ability to construct evidence-based explanations in classrooms through scientific inquiry is critical to successful science education. Structured argumentation support environments have been built and used in scientific discourse in the literature. To the best of our knowledge, no research work in the…

A/C Interface: Workstations in the Laboratory: Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dessy, Raymond E., Ed.

1985-01-01

Discusses the design philosophies of four different scientific workstations. Each workstation uses a different approach and addresses different needs. The intent is to provide material that, in conjunction with part I, can provide scientists with an ability to critically evaluate the numerous commercially available scientific workstations. (JN)

Increasing scientific confidence in adverse outcome pathways: Application of tailored Bradford-Hill considerations for evaluating weight of evidence

EPA Science Inventory

Systematic consideration of scientific support is a critical element in developing and, ultimately, using adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for various regulatory applications. Though weight of evidence (WoE) analysis has been proposed as a basis for assessment of the maturity and...

Information retrieval, critical appraisal and knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among Finnish dental students.

PubMed

Nieminen, P; Virtanen, J I

2017-11-01

One of the core skills of competent dentist is the ability to search and analyse high-quality evidence. Problems in understanding the basic aspects of knowledge-based information may impede its implementation into clinical practice. We examined how Finnish dental students acquire scientific information and how familiar they are with methods for evaluating scientific evidence related to clinical questions. All fifth-year dental students (n = 120) at the three universities in Finland received a self-administered questionnaire. The three most commonly used sources of information were colleagues, the commercial Health Gate Portal for dental practitioners and personal lecture notes. Although students rarely read scientific journals, they did find that they possess at least passable or even good skills in literature retrieval. Three questions related to the appraisal of evidence in dentistry revealed that students' knowledge of evidence-based dentistry was inadequate to critically evaluate clinical research findings. Most students seem to lack knowledge of key methodological evidence-based terms. The present curricula in dental schools fail to encourage the students to search and acquire knowledge wider than their patients themselves do. Universities have the responsibility to teach dentists various methods of critical appraisal to cope with scientific information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Designing Courses that Encourage Post-College Scientific Literacy in General Education Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horodyskyj, L.

2010-12-01

In a time when domestic and foreign policy is becoming increasingly dependent on a robust understanding of scientific concepts (especially in regards to climate science), it is of vital importance that non-specialist students taking geoscience courses gain an understanding not only of Earth system processes, but also of how to discern scientific information from "spin". An experimental introductory level environmental geology course was developed at the Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona, in the fall of 2010 that sought to integrate collaborative learning, online resources, and science in the media. The goal of this course was for students to end the semester with not just an understanding of basic Earth systems concepts, but also with a set of tools for evaluating information presented by the media. This was accomplished by integrating several online sites that interface scientific data with popular web tools (ie, Google Maps) and collaborative exercises that required students to generate ideas based on their observations followed by evaluation and refinement of these ideas through interactions with peers and the instructor. The capstone activity included a series of homework assignments that required students to make note of science-related news stories in the media early in the semester, and then gradually begin critically evaluating these news sources, which will become their primary source of post-college geoscience information. This combination of activities will benefit students long after the semester has ended by giving them access to primary sources of scientific information, encouraging them to discuss and evaluate their ideas with their peers, and, most importantly, to critically evaluate the information they receive from the media and their peers so that they can become more scientifically literate citizens.

Nine Criteria for a Measure of Scientific Output

PubMed Central

Kreiman, Gabriel; Maunsell, John H. R.

2011-01-01

Scientific research produces new knowledge, technologies, and clinical treatments that can lead to enormous returns. Often, the path from basic research to new paradigms and direct impact on society takes time. Precise quantification of scientific output in the short-term is not an easy task but is critical for evaluating scientists, laboratories, departments, and institutions. While there have been attempts to quantifying scientific output, we argue that current methods are not ideal and suffer from solvable difficulties. Here we propose criteria that a metric should have to be considered a good index of scientific output. Specifically, we argue that such an index should be quantitative, based on robust data, rapidly updated and retrospective, presented with confidence intervals, normalized by number of contributors, career stage and discipline, impractical to manipulate, and focused on quality over quantity. Such an index should be validated through empirical testing. The purpose of quantitatively evaluating scientific output is not to replace careful, rigorous review by experts but rather to complement those efforts. Because it has the potential to greatly influence the efficiency of scientific research, we have a duty to reflect upon and implement novel and rigorous ways of evaluating scientific output. The criteria proposed here provide initial steps toward the systematic development and validation of a metric to evaluate scientific output. PMID:22102840

A critical evaluation of reports associating ayahuasca with life-threatening adverse reactions.

PubMed

dos Santos, Rafael Guimarāes

2013-01-01

Ayahuasca is a botanical hallucinogenic preparation traditionally consumed by Northwestern Amazonian indigenous groups. Scientific evidence suggests good tolerability after acute administration of ayahuasca and also after years or even decades of its ritual consumption. Nevertheless, some scientific and media reports associate ayahuasca or some of its alkaloids with severe intoxications. The purpose of the present text is to do a critical evaluation of these reports. The evaluation of the cases highlights the fact that some lack accurate forensic/toxicological information, while others are not directly relevant to traditional ayahuasca preparations. These limitations reduce the possibility of an accurate risk assessment, which could indicate potential contraindications and susceptibilities for ayahuasca consumption. Nevertheless, even with these limitations, the cases suggest that previous cardiac and hepatic pathologies and current use of serotonergic drugs/medications are contraindications to ayahuasca use, and that caution should be taken when using different botanical species and extracted/synthetic alkaloids to prepare ayahuasca analogues.

Evidence Based Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Social Phobia: A Critical Review of Rating Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tulbure, Bogdan T.; Szentagotai, Aurora; Dobrean, Anca; David, Daniel

2012-01-01

Investigating the empirical support of various assessment instruments, the evidence based assessment approach expands the scientific basis of psychotherapy. Starting from Hunsley and Mash's evaluative framework, we critically reviewed the rating scales designed to measure social anxiety or phobia in youth. Thirteen of the most researched social…

Planning Science Instruction for Critical Thinking: Two Urban Elementary Teachers' Responses to a State Science Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangiante, Elaine Silva

2013-01-01

Science education reform standards have shifted focus from exploration and experimentation to evidence-based explanation and argumentation to prepare students with knowledge for a changing workforce and critical thinking skills to evaluate issues requiring increasing scientific literacy. However, in urban schools serving poor, diverse populations,…

Inciting Curiosity and Creating Meaning: Teaching Information Evaluation through the Lens of "Bad Science"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riehle, Catherine Fraser

2012-01-01

Ability to evaluate information is a critical component of information literacy. This article provides strategies for engaging students in learning about information evaluation in the contexts of the scientific publication cycle and communication in the digital age. Also included are recent findings regarding undergraduate student research…

A Historical Reflection on Research Evaluation Studies, Their Recurrent Themes and Challenges. Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marjanovic, Sonja; Hanney, Stephen; Wooding, Steven

2009-01-01

This report critically examines studies of how scientific research drives innovation which is then translated into socio-economic benefits. It focuses on research evaluation insights that are relevant not only to the academic community, but also to policymakers and evaluation practitioners--and particularly to biomedical and health research…

Critical thinking in nursing: Scoping review of the literature.

PubMed

Zuriguel Pérez, Esperanza; Lluch Canut, Maria Teresa; Falcó Pegueroles, Anna; Puig Llobet, Montserrat; Moreno Arroyo, Carmen; Roldán Merino, Juan

2015-12-01

This article seeks to analyse the current state of scientific knowledge concerning critical thinking in nursing. The methodology used consisted of a scoping review of the main scientific databases using an applied search strategy. A total of 1518 studies published from January 1999 to June 2013 were identified, of which 90 met the inclusion criteria. The main conclusion drawn is that critical thinking in nursing is experiencing a growing interest in the study of both its concepts and its dimensions, as well as in the development of training strategies to further its development among both students and professionals. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that critical thinking has been investigated principally in the university setting, independent of conceptual models, with a variety of instruments used for its measurement. We recommend (i) the investigation of critical thinking among working professionals, (ii) the designing of evaluative instruments linked to conceptual models and (iii) the identification of strategies to promote critical thinking in the context of providing nursing care. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) of Ozone and Related ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA announced the availability of the final report, Integrated Science Assessment of Ozone and Related Photochemical Oxidants. This document represents a concise synthesis and evaluation of the most policy-relevant science and will ultimately provide the scientific bases for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current national ambient air quality standards for ozone to protect human health, public welfare, and the environment. Critical evaluation and integration of the evidence on health and environmental effects of ozone to provide scientific support for the review of the NAAQS for ozone.

Student Evaluations as Social Ritual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittington, Harold

The practice of student evaluation of college faculty is discussed in terms of the literature on social ritual. The following arguments that critics have raised are considered: student ratings of professors are neither scientific nor objective; feedback needed by professors to improve the quality of their work and data needed by administrators to…

Creating Critical Consumers of Health and Science News: Teaching Science to the Non-Scientist Using Newsworthy Topics in the Life Sciences.

PubMed

Coderre, Raymond W; Uekermann, Kristen A; Choi, Youngeun; Anderson, William J

2016-03-01

Scientists constantly make groundbreaking discoveries, some of which receive attention from the press. We designed a course intended for a lay audience that provides the scientific background to appreciate these reports more fully. We discuss three topics in the life sciences: stem cells, cancer, and infectious disease. The course is structured to blend relevant scientific background and evaluation of primary literature with the coverage of these advances by the media and popular press. In short, lectures emphasize exposure to basic biological concepts and tools as a means of informing understanding of prominent biological questions of public interest. The overall goal of the course is not only to expose students to the media's coverage of scientific progress, but also to hone their critical thinking skills to distinguish hope from hype.

[Evaluation of the quality of Anales Españoles de Pediatría versus Medicina Clínica].

PubMed

Bonillo Perales, A

2002-08-01

To compare the scientific methodology and quality of articles published in Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica. A stratified and randomized selection of 40 original articles published in 2001 in Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica was made. Methodological errors in the critical analysis of original articles (21 items), epidemiological design, sample size, statistical complexity and levels of scientific evidence in both journals were compared using the chi-squared and/or Student's t-test. No differences were found between Anales Españoles de Pediatría and Medicina Clínica in the critical evaluation of original articles (p > 0.2). In original articles published in Anales Españoles de Pediatría, the designs were of lower scientific evidence (a lower proportion of clinical trials, cohort and case-control studies) (17.5 vs 42.5 %, p 0.05), sample sizes were smaller (p 0.003) and there was less statistical complexity in the results section (p 0.03). To improve the scientific quality of Anales Españoles de Pediatría, improved study designs, larger sample sizes and greater statistical complexity are required in its articles.

Open Evaluation: A Vision for Entirely Transparent Post-Publication Peer Review and Rating for Science

PubMed Central

Kriegeskorte, Nikolaus

2012-01-01

The two major functions of a scientific publishing system are to provide access to and evaluation of scientific papers. While open access (OA) is becoming a reality, open evaluation (OE), the other side of the coin, has received less attention. Evaluation steers the attention of the scientific community and thus the very course of science. It also influences the use of scientific findings in public policy. The current system of scientific publishing provides only journal prestige as an indication of the quality of new papers and relies on a non-transparent and noisy pre-publication peer-review process, which delays publication by many months on average. Here I propose an OE system, in which papers are evaluated post-publication in an ongoing fashion by means of open peer review and rating. Through signed ratings and reviews, scientists steer the attention of their field and build their reputation. Reviewers are motivated to be objective, because low-quality or self-serving signed evaluations will negatively impact their reputation. A core feature of this proposal is a division of powers between the accumulation of evaluative evidence and the analysis of this evidence by paper evaluation functions (PEFs). PEFs can be freely defined by individuals or groups (e.g., scientific societies) and provide a plurality of perspectives on the scientific literature. Simple PEFs will use averages of ratings, weighting reviewers (e.g., by H-index), and rating scales (e.g., by relevance to a decision process) in different ways. Complex PEFs will use advanced statistical techniques to infer the quality of a paper. Papers with initially promising ratings will be more deeply evaluated. The continual refinement of PEFs in response to attempts by individuals to influence evaluations in their own favor will make the system ungameable. OA and OE together have the power to revolutionize scientific publishing and usher in a new culture of transparency, constructive criticism, and collaboration. PMID:23087639

Non-Science Majors' Critical Evaluation of Websites in a Biotechnology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Kristy L.; Siegel, Marcelle A.; Freyermuth, Sharyn K.

2010-01-01

Helping students develop criteria for judgment and apply examination skills is essential for promoting scientific literacy. With the increasing availability of the Internet, it is even more essential that students learn how to evaluate the science they gather from online resources. This is particularly true because publishing information on the…

Creating Critical Consumers of Health and Science News: Teaching Science to the Non-Scientist Using Newsworthy Topics in the Life Sciences†

PubMed Central

Coderre, Raymond W.; Uekermann, Kristen A.; Choi, Youngeun; Anderson, William J.

2016-01-01

Scientists constantly make groundbreaking discoveries, some of which receive attention from the press. We designed a course intended for a lay audience that provides the scientific background to appreciate these reports more fully. We discuss three topics in the life sciences: stem cells, cancer, and infectious disease. The course is structured to blend relevant scientific background and evaluation of primary literature with the coverage of these advances by the media and popular press. In short, lectures emphasize exposure to basic biological concepts and tools as a means of informing understanding of prominent biological questions of public interest. The overall goal of the course is not only to expose students to the media’s coverage of scientific progress, but also to hone their critical thinking skills to distinguish hope from hype. PMID:27047603

Raising Students' Perception of the Relevance of Science Teaching and Promoting Communication and Evaluation Capabilities Using Authentic and Controversial Socio-Scientific Issues in the Framework of Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feierabend, Timo; Eilks, Ingo

2010-01-01

This paper describes the development of different lesson plans dealing with authentic and controversial socio-scientific issues in the framework of climate change. These lesson plans orient themselves along the socio-critical, problem-oriented approach to science teaching. They deal with the use of bioethanol as an alternative fuel and with the…

Galen and astrology: a Mésalliance?

PubMed

Cooper, Glen M

2011-01-01

The author examines the question of Galen's affinity with astrology, in view of Galen's extended astrological discussion in the De diebus decretoriis (Critical Days). The critical passages from Galen are examined, and shown to be superficial in understanding. The author performs a lexical sounding of Galen's corpus, using key terms with astrological valences drawn from the Critical Days, and assesses their absence in Galen's other works. He compares Galen's astrology with the astrology of Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos, and evaluates their respective strategies of scientific reasoning. Three types of inference are introduced and applied to Galen's astrology. Finally, he concludes that the empirical side of Galen's science does not depend upon astrological methods or concepts, but that these were introduced for their rhetorical effect in presenting his new medical methodology. It is suggested that continued attention to Galen's astrology has obscured the truly important empirical scientific method that Galen developed.

Scientific and Regulatory Considerations in Solid Oral Modified Release Drug Product Development.

PubMed

Li, Min; Sander, Sanna; Duan, John; Rosencrance, Susan; Miksinski, Sarah Pope; Yu, Lawrence; Seo, Paul; Rege, Bhagwant

2016-11-01

This review presents scientific and regulatory considerations for the development of solid oral modified release (MR) drug products. It includes a rationale for patient-focused development based on Quality-by-Design (QbD) principles. Product and process understanding of MR products includes identification and risk-based evaluation of critical material attributes (CMAs), critical process parameters (CPPs), and their impact on critical quality attributes (CQAs) that affect the clinical performance. The use of various biopharmaceutics tools that link the CQAs to a predictable and reproducible clinical performance for patient benefit is emphasized. Product and process understanding lead to a more comprehensive control strategy that can maintain product quality through the shelf life and the lifecycle of the drug product. The overall goal is to develop MR products that consistently meet the clinical objectives while mitigating the risks to patients by reducing the probability and increasing the detectability of CQA failures.

Affordances of students' using the World Wide Web as a publishing medium in project-based learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bos, Nathan Daniel

This dissertation investigates the emerging affordance of the World Wide Web as a place for high school students to become authors and publishers of information. Two empirical studies lay groundwork for student publishing by examining learning issues related to audience adaptation in writing, motivation and engagement with hypermedia, design, problem-solving, and critical evaluation. Two models of student publishing on the World Wide Web were investigated over the course of two 11spth grade project-based science curriculums. In the first curricular model, students worked in pairs to design informative hypermedia projects about infectious diseases that were published on the Web. Four case studies were written, drawing on both product- and process-related data sources. Four theoretically important findings are illustrated through these cases: (1) multimedia, especially graphics, seemed to catalyze some students' design processes by affecting the sequence of their design process and by providing a connection between the science content and their personal interest areas, (2) hypermedia design can demand high levels of analysis and synthesis of science content, (3) students can learn to think about science content representation through engagement with challenging design tasks, and (4) students' consideration of an outside audience can be facilitated by teacher-given design principles. The second Web-publishing model examines how students critically evaluate scientific resources on the Web, and how students can contribute to the Web's organization and usability by publishing critical reviews. Students critically evaluated Web resources using a four-part scheme: summarization of content, content, evaluation of credibility, evaluation of organizational structure, and evaluation of appearance. Content analyses comparing students' reviews and reviewed Web documents showed that students were proficient at summarizing content of Web documents, identifying their publishing source, and evaluating their organizational features; however, students struggled to identify scientific evidence, bias, or sophisticated use of media in Web pages. Shortcomings were shown to be partly due to deficiencies in the Web pages themselves and partly due to students' inexperience with the medium or lack of critical evaluation skills. Future directions of this idea are discussed, including discussion of how students' reviews have been integrated into a current digital library development project.

Handwriting Examination: Moving from Art to Science

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jarman, Kristin H.; Hanlen, Richard C.; Manzolillo, P. A.

The scientific basis for handwriting individuality and the expertise of handwriting examiners has been questioned in several court cases and law review articles. The criticisms were originally directed at the proficiency and expertise of forensic document examiners (FDE's). However, these criticisms also illustrate the lack of empirical data to support and validate the premises and methodology of handwriting examination. As a result the admissibility and weight of FDE testimony has been called into question. These assaults on the scientific integrity of handwriting analysis have created an urgent need for the forensic document examination community to develop objective standards, measurable criteriamore » and a uniform methodology supported by properly controlled studies that evaluate and validate the significance of measurable handwriting characteristics.« less

The Significant Surface-Water Connectivity of “Geographically Isolated Wetlands”

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated the current literature, coupled with our collective research expertise, on surface-water connectivity of wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” (sensu Tiner Wetlands 23:494–516, 2003a) to critically assess the scientific foundation of g...

Normative ethics does not need a foundation: it needs more science.

PubMed

Quintelier, Katinka; Van Speybroeck, Linda; Braeckman, Johan

2011-03-01

The impact of science on ethics forms since long the subject of intense debate. Although there is a growing consensus that science can describe morality and explain its evolutionary origins, there is less consensus about the ability of science to provide input to the normative domain of ethics. Whereas defenders of a scientific normative ethics appeal to naturalism, its critics either see the naturalistic fallacy committed or argue that the relevance of science to normative ethics remains undemonstrated. In this paper, we argue that current scientific normative ethicists commit no fallacy, that criticisms of scientific ethics contradict each other, and that scientific insights are relevant to normative inquiries by informing ethics about the options open to the ethical debate. Moreover, when conceiving normative ethics as being a nonfoundational ethics, science can be used to evaluate every possible norm. This stands in contrast to foundational ethics in which some norms remain beyond scientific inquiry. Finally, we state that a difference in conception of normative ethics underlies the disagreement between proponents and opponents of a scientific ethics. Our argument is based on and preceded by a reconsideration of the notions naturalistic fallacy and foundational ethics. This argument differs from previous work in scientific ethics: whereas before the philosophical project of naturalizing the normative has been stressed, here we focus on concrete consequences of biological findings for normative decisions or on the day-to-day normative relevance of these scientific insights.

Critical Information Literacy as Core Skill for Lifelong STEM Learning in the 21st Century: Reflections on the Desirability and Feasibility for Widespread Science Media Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storksdieck, Martin

2016-01-01

Grace Reid and the late Stephen Norris argue in this issue the urgent need for widespread Science Media Education (SME) as an integral part of formal and informal science education. SME is to achieve two goals: First, allow learners to critically evaluate any media as a source for scientific information by understanding the socio-economic and…

A new twist to the No Miracles Argument for the success of science.

PubMed

Wray, K Brad

2018-06-01

J. D. Trout has recently developed a new defense of scientific realism, a new version of the No Miracles Argument. I critically evaluate Trout's novel defense of realism. I argue that Trout's argument for scientific realism and the related explanation for the success of science are self-defeating. In the process of arguing against the traditional realist strategies for explaining the success of science, he inadvertently undermines his own argument. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Critical mass, explosive participation at the Max-Planck Institute about research of the living conditions of the scientific-technical world in Starnberg].

PubMed

Sonntag, Philipp

2014-01-01

Reviewers of the Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung der Lebensbedingungen der wissenschaftlich-technischen Welt (MPIL) did focus upon an abundance of vague reports of evaluative commissions, of benchmarking, of scientific modes. Thus it remained rather neglected, what staff actually had researched. An example: Progression and end of project AKR (Work-Consumption-Assessment) does display all kinds of related emotions at MPIL, and the sensitive guidance by Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker.

Appraisal of Meconium at Delivery

PubMed Central

Paes, Bosco A.; Thompson, Penelope

1992-01-01

A critical appraisal of the scientific literature on managing mesconium in labor identified 15 studies which were used to evaluate intervention strategies. Only four were randomized trials: two on the use of amnioinfusion in labor, one on the technique of bulb versus DeLee catheter suction of the newborn, and one on the need for endotracheal intubation and suction in meconium-stained neonates. Current practice is dictated by the most favorable tradeoff between benefit and risk because of limited scientific evidence. PMID:21221284

Agricultural Meteorology in China.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Norman J.

1982-03-01

During nearly five weeks in China (May-June 1981), the author visited scientific institutions and experiment stations engaged in agricultural meterology and climatology research and teaching. The facilities, studies, and research programs at each institution are described and the scientific work in these fields is evaluated. Agricultural meteorology and climatology are faced with some unique problems and opportunities in China and progress in these fields may be of critical importance to that nation in coming years. The author includes culinary notes and comments on protocol in China.

The Significant Surface-Water Connectivity of “Geographically Isolated Wetlands”

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated the current literature, coupled with our collective research expertise, on surface-water connectivity of wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” (sensu Tiner Wetlands 23:494–516, 2003a) to critically assess the scientific foundation of grouping wetlands b...

Fabrication of biomimetically-patterned surfaces and their application to probing plant-bacteria interactions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding of plant-bacterial interactions is of critical importance for developing effective control measures against infectious diseases caused by foodborne human pathogens. However, limitations of existing scientific tools to access and evaluate natural plant tissues, and the large variations ...

Evaluation of Three Commercial Backpack Sprayers with Aqualuer (registered trademark) 20-20 Against Caged Adult Aedes aegypti

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-11

institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. Evaluation of Three Commercial Backpack...strictly limited to personal, educational, and non- commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the...individual publisher as copyright holder. SCIENTIFIC NOTE EVALUATION OF THREE COMMERCIAL BACKPACK SPRAYERS WITH AQUALUERH 20–20 AGAINST CAGED ADULT

Assessing students' ability to critically evaluate evidence in an inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory course.

PubMed

Colthorpe, Kay; Mehari Abraha, Hyab; Zimbardi, Kirsten; Ainscough, Louise; Spiers, Jereme G; Chen, Hsiao-Jou Cortina; Lavidis, Nickolas A

2017-03-01

The ability to critically evaluate and use evidence from one's own work or from primary literature is invaluable to any researcher. These skills include the ability to identify strengths and weakness of primary literature, to gauge the impact of research findings on a field, to identify gaps in a field that require more research, and to contextualize findings within a field. This study developed a model to examine undergraduate science students' abilities to critically evaluate and use evidence through an analysis of laboratory reports from control and experimental groups in nonresearch-aligned and research-aligned inquiry-based laboratory classes, respectively, and contrasted these with published scientific research articles. The reports analyzed ( n = 42) showed that students used evidence in a variety of ways, most often referring to literature indirectly, and least commonly highlighting limitations of literature. There were significant positive correlations between grade awarded and the use of references, evidence, and length, but there were no significant differences between control and experimental groups, so data were pooled. The use of evidence in scientific research articles ( n = 7) was similar to student reports except that expert authors were more likely to refer to their own results and cite more references. Analysis showed that students, by the completion of the second year of their undergraduate degree, had expertise approaching that of published authors. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to provide valuable broad-scale undergraduate research experiences to all students in a cohort, giving them exposure to the methods and communication processes of research as well as an opportunity to hone their critical evaluation skills. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Systematic overview and critical appraisal of meta-analyses of interventions in intensive care medicine.

PubMed

Koster, T M; Wetterslev, J; Gluud, C; Keus, F; van der Horst, I C C

2018-05-24

Meta-analysed intervention effect estimates are perceived to represent the highest level of evidence. However, such effects and the randomized clinical trials which are included in them need critical appraisal before the effects can be trusted. Critical appraisal of a predefined set of all meta-analyses on interventions in intensive care medicine to assess their quality and assessed the risks of bias in those meta-analyses having the best quality. We conducted a systematic search to select all meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials on interventions used in intensive care medicine. Selected meta-analyses were critically appraised for basic scientific criteria, (1) presence of an available protocol, (2) report of a full search strategy, and (3) use of any bias risk assessment of included trials. All meta-analyses which qualified these criteria were scrutinized by full "Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews" ROBIS evaluation of 4 domains of risks of bias, and a "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" PRISMA evaluation. We identified 467 meta-analyses. A total of 56 meta-analyses complied with these basic scientific criteria. We scrutinized the risks of bias in the 56 meta-analyses by full ROBIS evaluation and a PRISMA evaluation. Only 4 meta-analyses scored low risk of bias in all the 4 ROBIS domains and 41 meta-analyses reported all 27 items of the PRISMA checklist. In contrast with what might be perceived as the highest level of evidence only 0.9% of all meta-analyses were judged to have overall low risk of bias. © 2018 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving medical students' knowledge of genetic disease: a review of current and emerging pedagogical practices.

PubMed

Wolyniak, Michael J; Bemis, Lynne T; Prunuske, Amy J

2015-01-01

Genetics is an essential subject to be mastered by health professional students of all types. However, technological advances in genomics and recent pedagogical research have changed the way in which many medical training programs teach genetics to their students. These advances favor a more experience-based education focused primarily on developing student's critical thinking skills. In this review, we examine the current state of genetics education at both the preclinical and clinical levels and the ways in which medical and pedagogical research have guided reforms to current and emerging teaching practices in genetics. We discover exciting trends taking place in which genetics is integrated with other scientific disciplines both horizontally and vertically across medical curricula to emphasize training in scientific critical thinking skills among students via the evaluation of clinical evidence and consultation of online databases. These trends will produce future health professionals with the skills and confidence necessary to embrace the new tools of medical practice that have emerged from scientific advances in genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics.

The Touchstone Process: an ongoing critical evaluation of reiki in the scientific literature.

PubMed

Baldwin, Ann L; Vitale, Anne; Brownell, Elise; Scicinski, Jan; Kearns, Mary; Rand, William

2010-01-01

Reiki is used by a growing number of people but little is known about the scientific basis for its use. The Touchstone Process was developed as an ongoing process to systematically analyze published, peer-reviewed studies of Reiki, the results being made accessible to the public online. Thirteen scientifically qualified experts in the field of Reiki were assembled into 3 teams to retrieve, evaluate, and summarize articles using standardized, piloted evaluation forms. Summaries of 26 Reiki articles, including strengths and weaknesses, were posted on a newly developed Web site (www.centerforreikiresearch.org), together with an overall summary of the status of Reiki research and guidelines for future research: The Touchstone Process determined that only 12 articles were based on a robust experimental design and utilized well-established outcome parameters. Of these articles, 2 provided no support, 5 provided some support, and 5 demonstrated strong evidence for the use of Reiki as a healing modality. There is a need for further high-quality studies in this area.

Advances in EPA’s Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry Project (Interagency Alternatives Assessment Webinar)

EPA Science Inventory

Estimates of human and ecological exposures are required as critical input to risk-based prioritization and screening of chemicals. The CSS Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry project seeks to develop the data, tools, and evaluation approaches required to generate rapid and scientifical...

Easing Your Pain: A Method for Evaluating Research Writing from Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Barbara E.; Martin, Kathleen A.; Mann, Betty L.; Fogarty, Tracey

2004-01-01

Throughout their undergraduate and graduate careers, students are assigned various types of papers that require scientific writing style. The scope of these assignments include laboratory reports that require only graphing and statements of findings; abstract assignments with critical summaries included; abbreviated research papers, including…

Making sense scientific claims in advertising. A study of scientifically aware consumers.

PubMed

Dodds, Rachel E; Tseëlon, Efrat; Weitkamp, Emma L C

2008-04-01

Evidence that science is becoming increasingly embedded in culture comes from the proliferation of discourses of ethical consumption, sustainability, and environmental awareness. Al Gore's recent award, along with UN's Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the Nobel peace prize-- provided a recent high profile linking of consumption and science. It is not clear to what extent the public at large engages in evaluating the scientific merits of the arguments about the link between human consumption and global environmental catastrophes. But on a local scale, we are routinely required to evaluate, scientific and pseudoscientific claims in advertising. Since advertising is used to sell products, the discourse of scientifically framed claims is being used to persuade consumers of the benefits of these products. In the case of functional foods and cosmetics, such statements are deployed to promote the health benefits and effectiveness of their products. This exploratory study examines the views of British consumers about the scientific and pseudoscientific claims made in advertisements for foods, with particular reference to functional foods, and cosmetics. The participants in the study all worked in scientific environments, though they were not all scientists. The study found that scientific arguments that were congruent with existing health knowledge tended to be accepted while pseudoscientific knowledge was regarded skeptically and concerns were raised over the accuracy and believability of the pseudoscientific claims. It appears that scientific awareness may play a part in consumers' ability to critically examine scientifically and pseudoscientifically based advertising claims.

Clinical reasoning and critical thinking.

PubMed

da Silva Bastos Cerullo, Josinete Aparecida; de Almeida Lopes Monteiro da Cruz, Diná

2010-01-01

This study identifies and analyzes nursing literature on clinical reasoning and critical thinking. A bibliographical search was performed in LILACS, SCIELO, PUBMED and CINAHL databases, followed by selection of abstracts and the reading of full texts. Through the review we verified that clinical reasoning develops from scientific and professional knowledge, is permeated by ethical decisions and nurses values and also that there are different personal and institutional strategies that might improve the critical thinking and clinical reasoning of nurses. Further research and evaluation of educational programs on clinical reasoning that integrate psychosocial responses to physiological responses of people cared by nurses is needed.

James Webb Space Telescope Observations of Stellar Occultations by Solar System Bodies and Rings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santos-Sanz, P.; French, R. G.; Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Stansberry, J.; Lin, Z-Y.; Zhang, Z-W.; Vilenius, E.; Mueller, Th.; Ortiz, J. L.; Braga-Ribas, F.;

What's Wrong with the "Teach the Controversy" Slogan?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Eugenie C.

2007-01-01

Teachers are often exhorted by creationists to "teach the controversy." Although such encouragement sounds on the surface like a proposal for critical thinking instruction, the history of the creationist movement in North America belies this claim. Rather than teach students to analyze and evaluate actual scientific controversies, the intent of…

Heads Up! a Calculation- & Jargon-Free Approach to Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giese, Alan R.

2012-01-01

Evaluating the strength of evidence in noisy data is a critical step in scientific thinking that typically relies on statistics. Students without statistical training will benefit from heuristic models that highlight the logic of statistical analysis. The likelihood associated with various coin-tossing outcomes gives students such a model. There…

20171003 - Exposure Research in EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Program (ACC LRI SST Science Discussion)

EPA Science Inventory

Estimates of human and ecological exposures are required as critical input to risk-based prioritization and screening of chemicals. This project seeks to develop the data, tools, and evaluation approaches required to generate rapid and scientifically-defensible exposure predictio...

Developing the Critical Thinking Skills of Astrobiology Students through Creative and Scientific Inquiry

PubMed Central

Lemus, Judith D.

2015-01-01

Abstract Scientific inquiry represents a multifaceted approach to explore and understand the natural world. Training students in the principles of scientific inquiry can help promote the scientific learning process as well as help students enhance their understanding of scientific research. Here, we report on the development and implementation of a learning module that introduces astrobiology students to the concepts of creative and scientific inquiry, as well as provide practical exercises to build critical thinking skills. The module contained three distinct components: (1) a creative inquiry activity designed to introduce concepts regarding the role of creativity in scientific inquiry; (2) guidelines to help astrobiology students formulate and self-assess questions regarding various scientific content and imagery; and (3) a practical exercise where students were allowed to watch a scientific presentation and practice their analytical skills. Pre- and post-course surveys were used to assess the students' perceptions regarding creative and scientific inquiry and whether this activity impacted their understanding of the scientific process. Survey results indicate that the exercise helped improve students' science skills by promoting awareness regarding the role of creativity in scientific inquiry and building their confidence in formulating and assessing scientific questions. Together, the module and survey results confirm the need to include such inquiry-based activities into the higher education classroom, thereby helping students hone their critical thinking and question asking skill set and facilitating their professional development in astrobiology. Key Words: Scientific inquiry—Critical thinking—Curriculum development—Astrobiology—Microbialites. Astrobiology 15, 89–99. PMID:25474292

Criticism and Interpretation: Teaching the Persuasive Aspects of Research Articles

PubMed Central

Gillen, Christopher M.

2006-01-01

Research articles are an excellent tool for promoting active learning about the scientific process. One difficulty in teaching research articles is that they address a professional audience and often seek to be persuasive as well as informative. This essay discusses pedagogical strategies that are intended to help students differentiate the purely informative aspects of research articles, such as descriptions of the methods and results, from the persuasive aspects, such as interpretation of results and critical evaluation of the work of other scientists. PMID:17012188

Criticism and interpretation: teaching the persuasive aspects of research articles.

PubMed

Gillen, Christopher M

2006-01-01

Research articles are an excellent tool for promoting active learning about the scientific process. One difficulty in teaching research articles is that they address a professional audience and often seek to be persuasive as well as informative. This essay discusses pedagogical strategies that are intended to help students differentiate the purely informative aspects of research articles, such as descriptions of the methods and results, from the persuasive aspects, such as interpretation of results and critical evaluation of the work of other scientists.

[Medicine in Brazil today: education and practice].

PubMed

Gonçalves, E L

1990-01-01

Present situation of medical education and medical practice in Brazil is analyzed, and the scientific-technological impact in medical practice is studied, in both diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. The influence of scientific methods in medical education, specifically the Flexner's contribution, is evaluated. In the recent years, Flexner's propositions have been put in question, particularly because of important contributions of psychology, anthropology and sociology to a better knowledge of human nature. Therefore many curricular alternatives have been proposed, aiming at a medical education that would favor the formation of well poised personality and a critical intelligence.

Enhancing HumanAgent Teaming with Individualized, Adaptive Technologies: A Discussion of Critical Scientific Questions

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-05-04

ARL-TR-8359 ● MAY 2018 US Army Research Laboratory Enhancing Human–Agent Teaming with Individualized, Adaptive Technologies : A...with Individualized, Adaptive Technologies : A Discussion of Critical Scientific Questions by Arwen H DeCostanza, Amar R Marathe, Addison Bohannon...Enhancing Human–Agent Teaming with Individualized, Adaptive Technologies : A Discussion of Critical Scientific Questions 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Using architectures for semantic interoperability to create journal clubs for emergency response

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powell, James E; Collins, Linn M; Martinez, Mark L B

2009-01-01

In certain types of 'slow burn' emergencies, careful accumulation and evaluation of information can offer a crucial advantage. The SARS outbreak in the first decade of the 21st century was such an event, and ad hoc journal clubs played a critical role in assisting scientific and technical responders in identifying and developing various strategies for halting what could have become a dangerous pandemic. This research-in-progress paper describes a process for leveraging emerging semantic web and digital library architectures and standards to (1) create a focused collection of bibliographic metadata, (2) extract semantic information, (3) convert it to the Resource Descriptionmore » Framework /Extensible Markup Language (RDF/XML), and (4) integrate it so that scientific and technical responders can share and explore critical information in the collections.« less

Critical appraisal of published literature

PubMed Central

Umesh, Goneppanavar; Karippacheril, John George; Magazine, Rahul

2016-01-01

With a large output of medical literature coming out every year, it is impossible for readers to read every article. Critical appraisal of scientific literature is an important skill to be mastered not only by academic medical professionals but also by those involved in clinical practice. Before incorporating changes into the management of their patients, a thorough evaluation of the current or published literature is an important step in clinical practice. It is necessary for assessing the published literature for its scientific validity and generalizability to the specific patient community and reader's work environment. Simple steps have been provided by Consolidated Standard for Reporting Trial statements, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and several other resources which if implemented may help the reader to avoid reading flawed literature and prevent the incorporation of biased or untrustworthy information into our practice. PMID:27729695

Understandings of Nature of Science and Multiple Perspective Evaluation of Science News by Non-science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, Jessica Shuk Ching; Wong, Alice Siu Ling; Yung, Benny Hin Wai

2015-10-01

Understandings of nature of science (NOS) are a core component of scientific literacy, and a scientifically literate populace is expected to be able to critically evaluate science in the media. While evidence has remained inconclusive on whether better NOS understandings will lead to critical evaluation of science in the media, this study aimed at examining the correlation therein. Thirty-eight non-science majors, enrolled in a science course for non-specialists held in a local community college, evaluated three health news articles by rating the extent to which they agreed with the reported claims and providing as many justifications as possible. The majority of the participants were able to evaluate and justify their viewpoint from multiple perspectives. Students' evaluation was compared with their NOS conceptions, including the social and cultural embedded NOS, the tentative NOS, the peer review process and the community of practice. Results indicated that participants' understanding of the tentative NOS was significantly correlated with multiple perspective evaluation of science news reports of socioscientific nature (r = 0.434, p < 0.05). This moderate correlation suggested the association between understanding of the tentative NOS and multiple perspective evaluation of science in the media of socioscientific nature. However, the null result for other target NOS aspects in this study suggested a lack of evidence to assume that understanding the social dimensions of science would have significant influence on the evaluation of science in the media. Future research on identifying the reasons for why and why not NOS understandings are applied in the evaluation will move this field forward.

Critical factors for optimising skill-grade-mix based on principles of Lean Management - a qualitative substudy

PubMed

Inauen, Alice; Rettke, Horst; Fridrich, Annemarie; Spirig, Rebecca; Bauer, Georg F

2017-01-01

Background: Due to scarce resources in health care, staff deployment has to meet the demands. To optimise skill-grade-mix, a Swiss University Hospital initiated a project based on principles of Lean Management. The project team accompanied each participating nursing department and scientifically evaluated the results of the project. Aim: The aim of this qualitative sub-study was to identify critical success factors of this project. Method: In four focus groups, participants discussed their experience of the project. Recruitment was performed from departments assessing the impact of the project retrospectively either positive or critical. In addition, the degree of direct involvement in the project served as a distinguishing criterion. Results: While the degree of direct involvement in the project was not decisive, conflicting opinions and experiences appeared in the groups with more positive or critical project evaluation. Transparency, context and attitude proved critical for the project’s success. Conclusions: Project managers should ensure transparency of the project’s progress and matching of the project structure with local conditions in order to support participants in their critical or positive attitude towards the project.

[New bibliometric indicators for the scientific literature: an evolving panorama].

PubMed

La Torre, G; Sciarra, I; Chiappetta, M; Monteduro, A

2017-01-01

Bibliometrics is a science which evaluates the impact of the scientific work of a journal or of an author, using mathematical and statistical tools. Impact Factor (IF) is the first bibliometric parameter created, and after it many others have been progressively conceived in order to go beyond its limits. Currently bibliometric indexes are used for academic purposes, among them to evaluate the eligibility of a researcher to compete for the National Scientific Qualification, in order to access to competitive exams to become professor. Aim of this study is to identify the most relevant bibliometric indexes and to summarized their characteristics. A revision of bibliometric indexes as been conducted, starting from the classic ones and completing with the most recent ones. The two most used bibliometric indexes are the IF, which measures the scientific impact of a periodical and bases on Web of Science citation database, and the h-index, which measures the impact of the scientific work of a researcher, basing on Scopus database. Besides them other indexes have been created more recently, such as the SCImago Journal Rank Indicator (SJR), the Source Normalised Impact per Paper (SNIP) and the CiteScore index. They are all based on Scopus database and evaluate, in different ways, the citational impact of a periodic. The i10-index instead is provided from Google Scholar database and allows to evaluate the impact of the scientific production of a researcher. Recently two softwares have been introduced: the first one, Publish or Perish, allows to evaluate the scientific work of a researcher, through the assessment of many indexes; the second one, Altmetric, measure the use in the Web of the academic papers, instead of measuring citations, by means of alternative metrics respect to the traditional ones. Each analized index shows advantages but also criticalities. Therefore the combined use of more than one indexes, citational and not, should be preferred, in order to correctly evaluate the work of reserchers and to finally improve the quality and the development of scientific research.

Performance Evaluation of an Intel Haswell- and Ivy Bridge-Based Supercomputer Using Scientific and Engineering Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saini, Subhash; Hood, Robert T.; Chang, Johnny; Baron, John

2016-01-01

We present a performance evaluation conducted on a production supercomputer of the Intel Xeon Processor E5- 2680v3, a twelve-core implementation of the fourth-generation Haswell architecture, and compare it with Intel Xeon Processor E5-2680v2, an Ivy Bridge implementation of the third-generation Sandy Bridge architecture. Several new architectural features have been incorporated in Haswell including improvements in all levels of the memory hierarchy as well as improvements to vector instructions and power management. We critically evaluate these new features of Haswell and compare with Ivy Bridge using several low-level benchmarks including subset of HPCC, HPCG and four full-scale scientific and engineering applications. We also present a model to predict the performance of HPCG and Cart3D within 5%, and Overflow within 10% accuracy.

The human repeated insult patch test in the 21st century: a commentary.

PubMed

Basketter, David A

2009-01-01

The human repeated insult patch test (HRIPT) is over half a century old, but is still used in several countries as a confirmatory test in the safety evaluation of skin sensitizers. This is despite the criticism it receives from an ethical perspective and regarding the scientific validity of such testing. In this commentary, the HRIPT is reviewed, with emphasis on ethical aspects and where the test can, and cannot, contribute in a scientifically meaningful manner to safety evaluation. It is concluded that where there is a specific rationale for testing, for example, to substantiate a no-effect level for a sensitizing chemical or to ensure that matrix effects are not making an unexpected contribution to sensitizing potency, then rigorous independent review may confirm that an HRIPT is ethical and scientifically justifiable. The possibility that sensitization may be induced in volunteers dictates that HRIPTs should be conducted rarely and in cases where the benefits overwhelmingly outweigh the risk. However, for the very large majority of HRIPTs conducted concerning the risk of skin sensitization, there is neither scientific justification nor any other merit.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides – Health Criteria (Second External Review Draft, Dec 2016)

EPA Science Inventory

This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of sulfur oxides. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current primar...

The southern plains LTAR watershed research program

Treesearch

Patrick Starks; Jean L. Steiner

2016-01-01

Water connects physical, biological, chemical, ecological, and economic forces across the landscape. While hydrologic processes and scientific investigations related to sustainable agricultural systems are based on universal principles, research to understand processes and evaluate management practices is often site-specific in order to achieve a critical mass of...

Evaluation of Endocrine Effects in Birds: A Case for a Targeted, Life-stage and Endpoint Specific Approach

EPA Science Inventory

The EFSA "Scientific Opinion on the Science Behind the Guidance" document on risk assessment for birds and mammals has a chapter on risk assessment of substances with endocrine-disrupting properties in birds. It discusses that targeted partial life-cycle or critical life-stage te...

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Oxides of Nitrogen – Health Criteria (Second External Review Draft, 2015)

EPA Science Inventory

This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of oxides of nitrogen. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current ...

75 FR 61690 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Designating Critical Habitat for the Endangered North...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-06

... northern right whale, which concluded recent genetic data provided unequivocal support to distinguish three... listed species on the basis of the best scientific data available and after taking into consideration the... and unpublished sighting survey data. The first is a 2008 evaluation of foraging habitat and of...

78 FR 70536 - Application(s) for Duty-Free Entry of Scientific Instruments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-26

... instrument is the only confocal using a single micro lens disk, making it the only spinning disk system... modulus and damping versus strain, and evaluate the influence of soil-content on its dynamic properties. It is critical to have the capability to simulate realistic static and dynamic stress conditions to...

Blame Analysis: Accounting for the Behavior of Protected Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felson, Richard B.

1991-01-01

Criticizes the use of blame analysis rather than scientific analysis in sociological studies. Defines blame analysis as an approach to social science that (1) evaluates theories according to the extent that they blame protected groups; (2) equates cause with blame; (3) and rejects theoretical arguments that posit any causal role for the protected…

Using Immersive Virtual Environments for Certification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, R.; Cruz-Neira, C.

1998-01-01

Immersive virtual environments (VEs) technology has matured to the point where it can be utilized as a scientific and engineering problem solving tool. In particular, VEs are starting to be used to design and evaluate safety-critical systems that involve human operators, such as flight and driving simulators, complex machinery training, and emergency rescue strategies.

The Impact of an Interdisciplinary Learning Community Course on Pseudoscientific Reasoning in First-Year Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franz, Timothy M.; Green, Kris H.

2013-01-01

This case study examined the development and evaluation of an interdisciplinary first-year learning community designed to stimulate scientific reasoning and critical thinking. Designed to serve the needs of scholarship students majoring in mathematics and natural sciences, the six-credit learning community course was writing-intensive and…

Public Health Surveillance Systems: Recent Advances in Their Use and Evaluation.

PubMed

Groseclose, Samuel L; Buckeridge, David L

2017-03-20

Surveillance is critical for improving population health. Public health surveillance systems generate information that drives action, and the data must be of sufficient quality and with a resolution and timeliness that matches objectives. In the context of scientific advances in public health surveillance, changing health care and public health environments, and rapidly evolving technologies, the aim of this article is to review public health surveillance systems. We consider their current use to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the public health system, the role of system stakeholders, the analysis and interpretation of surveillance data, approaches to system monitoring and evaluation, and opportunities for future advances in terms of increased scientific rigor, outcomes-focused research, and health informatics.

Practice guidelines for evaluating new fever in critically ill adult patients. Task Force of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

PubMed

O'Grady, N P; Barie, P S; Bartlett, J G; Bleck, T; Garvey, G; Jacobi, J; Linden, P; Maki, D G; Nam, M; Pasculle, W; Pasquale, M D; Tribett, D L; Masur, H

1998-05-01

The development of practice guidelines for evaluating adult patients who develop new fever in the intensive care unit (ICU) for the purpose of guiding clinical practice. A task force of 13 experts in disciplines related to critical care medicine, infectious diseases, and surgery was convened from the membership of the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the Infectious Disease Society of America. The task force members provided personal experience and determined the published literature (articles retrieved with use of MEDLINE or textbooks) from which consensus would be sought. The published literature was reviewed and classified into one of four categories, according to study design and scientific value. The task force met several times in person and twice monthly by teleconference over a 1-year period to identify the pertinent literature and arrive at consensus recommendations. Consideration was given to the relationship between the weight of scientific evidence and the experts' opinions. Draft documents were composed and debated by the task force until consensus was reached by nominal group process. The panel concluded that because fever can have many infectious and noninfectious etiologies, a new fever in an adult patient in the ICU should trigger a careful clinical assessment rather than automatic orders for laboratory and radiological tests. A cost-conscious approach to obtaining diagnostic studies should be undertaken if they are indicated after a clinical evaluation. The goal of such an approach is to determine, in a directed manner, whether infection is present so that additional testing can be avoided and therapeutic options can be identified.

Developing critical practice: a South African's perspective.

PubMed

Pillay, M

1998-01-01

The manner in which speech and language therapy (SLT) considers communicating evidence of practice with a multicultural clientele is considered in context of cultural imperialism. A conceptual framework (i.e., the curriculum of practice) developed from a South African study (Pillay 1997), is highlighted for use in understanding, evaluating and communicating evidence of practice with the clientele in focus. The lens (or paradigm) used by SLT to view its curriculum of practice may reveal different stories about the same subject. Given this, the critical paradigm is proffered over that of the empirical-analytical (or 'scientific') and hermeneutic-interpretive types of paradigms. Finally, suggestions regarding the development of critical SLT are discussed.

[Powdered infant formulae preparation guide for hospitals based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles].

PubMed

Vargas-Leguás, H; Rodríguez Garrido, V; Lorite Cuenca, R; Pérez-Portabella, C; Redecillas Ferreiro, S; Campins Martí, M

2009-06-01

This guide for the preparation of powdered infant formulae in hospital environments is a collaborative work between several hospital services and is based on national and European regulations, international experts meetings and the recommendations of scientific societies. This guide also uses the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles proposed by Codex Alimentarius and emphasises effective verifying measures, microbiological controls of the process and the corrective actions when monitoring indicates that a critical control point is not under control. It is a dynamic guide and specifies the evaluation procedures that allow it to be constantly adapted.

Improving medical students’ knowledge of genetic disease: a review of current and emerging pedagogical practices

PubMed Central

Wolyniak, Michael J; Bemis, Lynne T; Prunuske, Amy J

2015-01-01

Genetics is an essential subject to be mastered by health professional students of all types. However, technological advances in genomics and recent pedagogical research have changed the way in which many medical training programs teach genetics to their students. These advances favor a more experience-based education focused primarily on developing student’s critical thinking skills. In this review, we examine the current state of genetics education at both the preclinical and clinical levels and the ways in which medical and pedagogical research have guided reforms to current and emerging teaching practices in genetics. We discover exciting trends taking place in which genetics is integrated with other scientific disciplines both horizontally and vertically across medical curricula to emphasize training in scientific critical thinking skills among students via the evaluation of clinical evidence and consultation of online databases. These trends will produce future health professionals with the skills and confidence necessary to embrace the new tools of medical practice that have emerged from scientific advances in genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics. PMID:26604852

Perception of low dose radiation risks among radiation researchers in Korea.

PubMed

Seong, Ki Moon; Kwon, TaeWoo; Seo, Songwon; Lee, Dalnim; Park, Sunhoo; Jin, Young Woo; Lee, Seung-Sook

2017-01-01

Expert's risk evaluation of radiation exposure strongly influences the public's risk perception. Experts can inform laypersons of significant radiation information including health knowledge based on experimental data. However, some experts' radiation risk perception is often based on non-conclusive scientific evidence (i.e., radiation levels below 100 millisievert), which is currently under debate. Examining perception levels among experts is important for communication with the public since these individual's opinions have often exacerbated the public's confusion. We conducted a survey of Korean radiation researchers to investigate their perceptions of the risks associated with radiation exposure below 100 millisievert. A linear regression analysis revealed that having ≥ 11 years' research experience was a critical factor associated with radiation risk perception, which was inversely correlated with each other. Increased opportunities to understand radiation effects at < 100 millisievert could alter the public's risk perception of radiation exposure. In addition, radiation researchers conceived that more scientific evidence reducing the uncertainty for radiation effects < 100 millisievert is necessary for successful public communication. We concluded that sustained education addressing scientific findings is a critical attribute that will affect the risk perception of radiation exposure.

[Candidemia and invasive candidiasis approach in critically ill patients: role of the echinocandins].

PubMed

Almirante, B; Garnacho-Montero, J; Maseda, E; Candel, F J; Grau, S; Guinea, J; Moreno, I; Muñoz, P; Ruiz-Santana, S

2017-10-01

Invasive infections caused by Candida spp. in critically ill patients may significantly worsen their prognosis, so it is of great importance to establish an early detection and a suitable therapeutic strategy. The objective of this study was to define the differential role of echinocandins in treating certain critical patient profiles. A scientific committee of 9 experts in infectious diseases, critical care, microbiology, and hospital pharmacy reviewed the existing evidence on the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in critically ill patients. After that, a questionnaire with 35 items was elaborated to be agreed by 26 specialists in the aforementioned disciplines using a modified Delphi method. After two rounds of evaluation, a consensus was reached in terms of agreement in 66% of the items. Some of the consensuses achieved included: it is not necessary to adjust the dose of echinocandins during renal replacement therapy; the echinocandins are the empirical and/or directed treatment of choice for candidemia and invasive candidiasis associated with biofilms; these drugs may be used in the antifungal prophylaxis of high-risk liver transplantation. In the absence of additional clinical data, it should be noted that micafungin is the echinocandin with the most available scientific evidence. The experts consulted showed a high degree of agreement on some of the most controversial aspects regarding the management of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in critical patients, which could inform of practical recommendations for their treatment.

A Critical Analysis of the Scientific and Commercial Rationales for the De Novo Synthesis of Horsepox Virus

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT This article evaluates the scientific and commercial rationales for the synthesis of horsepox virus. I find that the claimed benefits of using horsepox virus as a smallpox vaccine rest on a weak scientific foundation and an even weaker business case that this project will lead to a licensed medical countermeasure. The combination of questionable benefits and known risks of this dual use research raises serious questions about the wisdom of undertaking research that could be used to recreate variola virus. This analysis also raises important questions about the propriety of a private company sponsoring such dual use research without appropriate oversight and highlights an important gap in United States dual use research regulations. PMID:29569633

Guidelines for a Scientific Approach to Critical Thinking Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bensley, D. Alan; Murtagh, Michael P.

2012-01-01

Assessment of student learning outcomes can be a powerful tool for improvement of instruction when a scientific approach is taken; unfortunately, many educators do not take full advantage of this approach. This article examines benefits of taking a scientific approach to critical thinking assessment and proposes guidelines for planning,…

Developing Students' Critical Reasoning About Online Health Information: A Capabilities Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiblom, Jonna; Rundgren, Carl-Johan; Andrée, Maria

2017-11-01

The internet has become a main source for health-related information retrieval. In addition to information published by medical experts, individuals share their personal experiences and narratives on blogs and social media platforms. Our increasing need to confront and make meaning of various sources and conflicting health information has challenged the way critical reasoning has become relevant in science education. This study addresses how the opportunities for students to develop and practice their capabilities to critically approach online health information can be created in science education. Together with two upper secondary biology teachers, we carried out a design-based study. The participating students were given an online retrieval task that included a search and evaluation of health-related online sources. After a few lessons, the students were introduced to an evaluation tool designed to support critical evaluation of health information online. Using qualitative content analysis, four themes could be discerned in the audio and video recordings of student interactions when engaging with the task. Each theme illustrates the different ways in which critical reasoning became practiced in the student groups. Without using the evaluation tool, the students struggled to overview the vast amount of information and negotiate trustworthiness. Guided by the evaluation tool, critical reasoning was practiced to handle source subjectivity and to sift out scientific information only. Rather than a generic skill and transferable across contexts, students' critical reasoning became conditioned by the multi-dimensional nature of health issues, the blend of various contexts and the shift of purpose constituted by the students.

Assessment Methodology for Process Validation Lifecycle Stage 3A.

PubMed

Sayeed-Desta, Naheed; Pazhayattil, Ajay Babu; Collins, Jordan; Chen, Shu; Ingram, Marzena; Spes, Jana

2017-07-01

The paper introduces evaluation methodologies and associated statistical approaches for process validation lifecycle Stage 3A. The assessment tools proposed can be applied to newly developed and launched small molecule as well as bio-pharma products, where substantial process and product knowledge has been gathered. The following elements may be included in Stage 3A: number of 3A batch determination; evaluation of critical material attributes, critical process parameters, critical quality attributes; in vivo in vitro correlation; estimation of inherent process variability (IPV) and PaCS index; process capability and quality dashboard (PCQd); and enhanced control strategy. US FDA guidance on Process Validation: General Principles and Practices, January 2011 encourages applying previous credible experience with suitably similar products and processes. A complete Stage 3A evaluation is a valuable resource for product development and future risk mitigation of similar products and processes. Elements of 3A assessment were developed to address industry and regulatory guidance requirements. The conclusions made provide sufficient information to make a scientific and risk-based decision on product robustness.

Application of theory-based evaluation for the critical analysis of national biofuel policy: A case study in Malaysia.

PubMed

Abdul-Manan, Amir F N; Baharuddin, Azizan; Chang, Lee Wei

2015-10-01

Theory-based evaluation (TBE) is an effectiveness assessment technique that critically analyses the theory underlying an intervention. Whilst its use has been widely reported in the area of social programmes, it is less applied in the field of energy and climate change policy evaluations. This paper reports a recent study that has evaluated the effectiveness of the national biofuel policy (NBP) for the transport sector in Malaysia by adapting a TBE approach. Three evaluation criteria were derived from the official goals of the NBP, those are (i) improve sustainability and environmental friendliness, (ii) reduce fossil fuel dependency, and (iii) enhance stakeholders' welfare. The policy theory underlying the NBP has been reconstructed through critical examination of the policy and regulatory documents followed by a rigorous appraisal of the causal link within the policy theory through the application of scientific knowledge. This study has identified several weaknesses in the policy framework that may engender the policy to be ineffective. Experiences with the use of a TBE approach for policy evaluations are also shared in this report. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical issues in telemedicine.

PubMed

Bashshur, R L

1997-01-01

Critical issues facing the development of telemedicine today are described and analyzed as dilemmas or paradoxes. The technological dilemma involves the difficult choice between using the latest technology regardless of how well it fits specific needs on the one hand, and the reluctance to capitalize on the available technological capability to create efficient and effective organizations for expanding the reach of health care on the other hand. The evaluation paradox points to the disjuncture between policy making requirements and the scientific enterprise. This engenders the difficulty of producing scientifically valid and policy relevant results from programs that have not achieved maturity or a steady state of operation. The contextual hazards of limiting the scope of telemedicine to rural areas are discussed, as well as the potential for creating a second tier of care for the remote and isolated populations. Finally, professional maturation is addressed as it underscores the importance of self regulation and control.

MODIS Validation, Data Merger and Other Activities Accomplished by the SIMBIOS Project: 2002-2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fargion, Giulietta S.; McClain, Charles R.

2003-01-01

The purpose of this technical report is to provide current documentation of the Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies (SIMBIOS) Project activities, satellite data processing, and data product validation. This documentation is necessary to ensure that critical information is related to the scientific community and NASA management. This critical information includes the technical difficulties and challenges of validating and combining ocean color data from an array of independent satellite systems to form consistent and accurate global bio-optical time series products. This technical report focuses on the SIMBIOS Project s efforts in support of the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra platform (similar evaluations of MODIS/Aqua are underway). This technical report is not meant as a substitute for scientific literature. Instead, it will provide a ready and responsive vehicle for the multitude of technical reports issued by an operational project.

Evaluation of the causal framework used for setting national ambient air quality standards.

PubMed

Goodman, Julie E; Prueitt, Robyn L; Sax, Sonja N; Bailey, Lisa A; Rhomberg, Lorenz R

2013-11-01

Abstract A scientifically sound assessment of the potential hazards associated with a substance requires a systematic, objective and transparent evaluation of the weight of evidence (WoE) for causality of health effects. We critically evaluated the current WoE framework for causal determination used in the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) assessments of the scientific data on air pollutants for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process, including its methods for literature searches; study selection, evaluation and integration; and causal judgments. The causal framework used in recent NAAQS evaluations has many valuable features, but it could be more explicit in some cases, and some features are missing that should be included in every WoE evaluation. Because of this, it has not always been applied consistently in evaluations of causality, leading to conclusions that are not always supported by the overall WoE, as we demonstrate using EPA's ozone Integrated Science Assessment as a case study. We propose additions to the NAAQS causal framework based on best practices gleaned from a previously conducted survey of available WoE frameworks. A revision of the NAAQS causal framework so that it more closely aligns with these best practices and the full and consistent application of the framework will improve future assessments of the potential health effects of criteria air pollutants by making the assessments more thorough, transparent, and scientifically sound.

Scientific Value and Educational Goals: Balancing Priorities and Increasing Adult Engagement in a Citizen Science Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sickler, Jessica; Cherry, Tammy Messick; Allee, Leslie; Smyth, Rebecca Rice; Losey, John

2014-01-01

The Lost Ladybug Project is a citizen science project that engages individuals and groups in research and learning about ladybug population dynamics. With a dual purpose of advancing scientists' research about ladybug populations and achieving learning outcomes with participants, the project's summative evaluation led to critical reflection on the…

An Authentic Voice in the Technocratic Wilderness: Alaskan Natives and the "Tundra Times."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daley, Patrick; James, Beverly

1986-01-01

Examines a pair of critical challenges to the cultural integrity of Alaskan Natives around 1960 as pivotal episodes in the process of native resistance to U. S. dominance. Historically evaluates the fragility of native culture in terms of the political, scientific, and economic interests expressed in the mainstream Alaskan press, particularly the…

German Teachers' Views on Promoting Scientific Media Literacy Using Advertising in the Science Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belova, Nadja; Eilks, Ingo

2016-01-01

A large part of the media landscape surrounding us consists of advertising. Therefore, skills for critically coping with advertising are indispensable. Students need to develop such skills for evaluating messages and facts from advertisements. They also need to learn about the mechanisms behind how advertisements are created and used to influence…

Assessing tree and stand biomass: a review with examples and critical comparisons

Treesearch

Bernard R. Parresol

1999-01-01

There is considerable interest today in estimating the biomass of trees and forests for both practical forestry issues and scientific purposes. New techniques and procedures are brought together along with the more traditional approaches to estimating woody biomass. General model forms and weighted analysis are reviewed, along with statistics for evaluating and...

Beyond the RCT: Integrating Rigor and Relevance to Evaluate the Outcomes of Domestic Violence Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, Lisa A.; Epstein, Deborah; Sullivan, Cris M.

2018-01-01

Programs for domestic violence (DV) victims and their families have grown exponentially over the last four decades. The evidence demonstrating the extent of their effectiveness, however, often has been criticized as stemming from studies lacking scientific rigor. A core reason for this critique is the widespread belief that credible evidence can…

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Oxides of Nitrogen – Health Criteria (Final Report, 2016)

EPA Science Inventory

This final report provides the U.S. EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of gaseous oxides of nitrogen. It provides a critical part of the scientific foundation for the U.S. EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the c...

Information Literacy in Biology Education: An Example from an Advanced Cell Biology Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, John R.

2005-01-01

Information literacy skills are critically important for the undergraduate biology student. The ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use information, whether from the scientific literature or from Web resources, is essential for a good understanding of a topic and for the conduct of research. A project in which students receive information…

[Congress of the German Society of Internal Medicine 2009: evaluation of the poster exhibition].

PubMed

Siebig, Sylvia; Schacherer, Doris; Schölmerich, Jürgen; Klebl, Frank

2009-09-15

The presentation of scientific posters gives young scientists the opportunity to present their data in the setting of a medical congress. In preparation of the organization of the 116th Congress of the German Society of Internal Medicine (DGIM) 2010, the authors evaluated the poster rounds at the 115th Congress of the DGIM 2009 by using a questionnaire that was given to poster presenters, poster chairmen, and visitors. The authors sought to receive an instructive criticism for the organization in 2010. Distribution of questionnaires containing ten questions with preformulated response options and an additional field for further comments to all presenters, chairmen, and visitors of the poster rounds during the 115th Congress of the DGIM (April 2009). 159 questionnaires were returned and evaluated. Almost all respondents quoted the poster presentation as being important for their scientific work (98%). In general, they were satisfied with the discussion at the poster rounds (83%). The amount of posters within one round was criticized by 41%, as was the inadequate adherence to time constraints and time frame and room conditions themselves. The poster exhibition of the 115th Congress of the DGIM 2009 was evaluated positively by most of the respondents to the survey. Nevertheless, helpful hints were retrieved as how to further improve poster rounds. They should be respected when planning the exhibition at the congress in 2010.

Operation ARA: A Computerized Learning Game that Teaches Critical Thinking and Scientific Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halpern, Diane F.; Millis, Keith; Graesser, Arthur C.; Butler, Heather; Forsyth, Carol; Cai, Zhiqiang

2012-01-01

Operation ARA (Acquiring Research Acumen) is a computerized learning game that teaches critical thinking and scientific reasoning. It is a valuable learning tool that utilizes principles from the science of learning and serious computer games. Students learn the skills of scientific reasoning by engaging in interactive dialogs with avatars. They…

Case Study: Assessing Critical-Thinking Skills Using Articles from the Popular Press

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terry, David R.

2012-01-01

Meaningful science education requires an understanding of essential concepts, but it is just as important for scientifically literate persons to use critical thinking as they apply scientific understanding to their lives. Students should learn to use scientific information appropriately to make wise choices and to effectively solve problems that…

Scientific Criticism? A Critical Approach to the Resistive Audience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruddock, Andy

1998-01-01

Contends that critical audience research has resisted "scientific" discourses that appear positivist. States that recent research begins to show the same errors as earlier positivist style--re-emergence of debates on political economy and cultural imperialism are aimed at overturning what are seen as orthodoxies of opposition and…

Arsenic-based Life: An active learning assignment for teaching scientific discourse.

PubMed

Jeremy Johnson, R

2017-01-02

Among recent high profile scientific debates was the proposal that life could exist with arsenic in place of phosphorous in its nucleic acids and other biomolecules. Soon after its initial publication, scientists across diverse disciplines began to question this extraordinary claim. Using the original article, its claims, its scientific support, and the ensuing counterarguments, a two-day, active learning classroom exercise was developed focusing on the presentation, evaluation, and discussion of scientific argumentation and discourse. In this culminating assignment of a first semester biochemistry course, undergraduate students analyze the scientific support from the original research articles and then present and discuss multiple scientific rebuttals in a lively, civil classroom debate. Through this assignment, students develop a sense of skepticism, especially for the original arsenic-based life claims, and learn to clearly articulate their counterarguments with scientific support and critical reasoning. With its direct integration into first-semester biochemistry curriculum and the excitement surrounding arsenic based life, this assignment provides a robust, simple, and stimulating framework for introducing scientific discourse and active learning into the undergraduate molecular science curriculum. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(1):40-45, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Should intellectual property be disseminated by "forwarding" rejected letters without permission?

PubMed

Gupta, V K

1996-08-01

Substantive scientific letter writing is a cost-effective mode of complementing observational and experimental research. The value of such philosophically uncommitted and unsponsored well-balanced scientific activity has been relegated. Critical letter writing entails the abilities to: maintain rational scepticism; refuse to conform in order to explain data; persist in keeping common sense centre-stage; exercise logic to evaluate the biological significance of mathematical figures, including statistics, and the ability to sustain the will to share insights regarding disease mechanisms on an ostensibly lower research platform. During peer review, innovative letter writing may share the occasionally unfortunate fate of innovative research. Rejected scientific letters do not automatically lose copyright. Periodicals with high letter loads will see some valuable contributions wasted, but that is the price for maintaining autonomy in scientific publication. The scientific community is an integrated whole that must respect the rights of authors at all levels. Unauthorised forwarding of rejected letters sets the dangerous precedent of justifying unjust means.

Scientific literacy for decisionmaking and the social construction of scientific knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bingle, Wade H.; Gaskell, P. James

Citizens are often required to make decisions about socioscientific issues in a climate characterized by conflict within both the scientific community and the larger society. Central to the process of decisionmaking is a critical examination of the relevant scientific knowledge involved. Individuals capable of performing this task can be considered scientifically literate in a decisionmaking sense. In this article we explore two ways of critically examining scientific knowledge in the context of a current socioscientific dispute: NASA's Galileo Mission to Jupiter. The two approaches we outline, termed the positivist and social constructivist positions, are examined in terms of their inherent views concerning the nature of scientific knowledge, in particular their use of constitutive and contextual values when evaluating knowledge claims. Because the social constructivist position acknowledges the importance of contextual values, it provides citizens with accessible standards for evaluating scientific knowledge claims. The positivist position, on the other hand, relies on constitutive values which we show are normally inaccessible to ordinary citizens. The positivist position, however, is most closely associated with the predominant social issues approach to science-technology-society (STS) education. Implications little consensus about which statements are fact (i.e., will remain stable when challenged) and which opinion, (i.e., will be modified when challenged). All knowledge is potentially unreliable when one is dealing with a socioscientific dispute.The adoption of a social constructivist view of scientific knowledge and its inherent way of evaluating knowledge claims clearly has implications for future approaches to STS education. Although one approach might be to offer a course in the history, philosophy, and sociology of science, this would not be useful without reference to the way in which such knowledge can help students to understand the context of a conflict within the society of scientists and the larger society. As Rosenthal (1989) argues, a synthesis is needed in which social issues are seen as a vehicle for studying the social studies of science and the social issues are seen as a way of making sense of social aspects of science. However, this way of teaching STS may be difficult to implement. In British Columbia, for example, science teachers have resisted efforts to include the social context of science within a traditional university-oriented physics course (Gaskell, 1992) and to teach a grade 11 social issues oriented sicence and technology course (Gaskell, 1989). This may be because the current social issues approach is most compatible with traditional science content as it is now taught: it simply shows the relevance of textbook knowledge (ready-made science) to contemporary probles. The shift to the approach suggested above will require a more drastic reorganization of the curriculum, one that may be resisted by the current stakeholders in science education (Duschl, 1988; Gaskell, 1989).

Using the Illogic of Creationism to Teach the Logic of Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Neil Andrew

1989-01-01

Presented is a strategy which uses creationism and other pseudosciences as examples of non-scientific approaches to critical thinking to teach students the nature of science and the scientific method. Examples of the illogic of non-scientific approaches are given along with an explanation of how they can be used in teaching critical thinking to…

Developing the critical thinking skills of astrobiology students through creative and scientific inquiry.

PubMed

Foster, Jamie S; Lemus, Judith D

2015-01-01

Scientific inquiry represents a multifaceted approach to explore and understand the natural world. Training students in the principles of scientific inquiry can help promote the scientific learning process as well as help students enhance their understanding of scientific research. Here, we report on the development and implementation of a learning module that introduces astrobiology students to the concepts of creative and scientific inquiry, as well as provide practical exercises to build critical thinking skills. The module contained three distinct components: (1) a creative inquiry activity designed to introduce concepts regarding the role of creativity in scientific inquiry; (2) guidelines to help astrobiology students formulate and self-assess questions regarding various scientific content and imagery; and (3) a practical exercise where students were allowed to watch a scientific presentation and practice their analytical skills. Pre- and post-course surveys were used to assess the students' perceptions regarding creative and scientific inquiry and whether this activity impacted their understanding of the scientific process. Survey results indicate that the exercise helped improve students' science skills by promoting awareness regarding the role of creativity in scientific inquiry and building their confidence in formulating and assessing scientific questions. Together, the module and survey results confirm the need to include such inquiry-based activities into the higher education classroom, thereby helping students hone their critical thinking and question asking skill set and facilitating their professional development in astrobiology.

Searching for scientific literacy and critical pedagogy in socioscientific curricula: A critical discourse analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummings, Kristina M.

The omnipresence of science and technology in our society require the development of a critical and scientifically literate citizenry. However, the inclusion of socioscientific issues, which are open-ended controversial issues informed by both science and societal factors such as politics, economics, and ethics, do not guarantee the development of these skills. The purpose of this critical discourse analysis is to identify and analyze the discursive strategies used in intermediate science texts and curricula that address socioscientific topics and the extent to which the discourses are designed to promote or suppress the development of scientific literacy and a critical pedagogy. Three curricula that address the issue of energy and climate change were analyzed using Gee's (2011) building tasks and inquiry tools. The curricula were written by an education organization entitled PreSEES, a corporate-sponsored group called NEED, and a non-profit organization named Oxfam. The analysis found that the PreSEES and Oxfam curricula elevated the significance of climate change and the NEED curriculum deemphasized the issue. The PreSEES and Oxfam curricula promoted the development of scientific literacy while the NEED curricula suppressed its development. The PreSEES and Oxfam curricula both promoted the development of the critical pedagogy; however, only the Oxfam curricula provided authentic opportunities to enact sociopolitical change. The NEED curricula suppressed the development of critical pedagogy. From these findings, the following conclusions were drawn. When socioscientific issues are presented with the development of scientific literacy and critical pedagogy, the curricula allow students to develop fact-based opinions about the issue. However, curricula that address socioscientific issues without the inclusion of these skills minimize the significance of the issue and normalize the hegemonic worldview promoted by the curricula's authors. Based on these findings, additional research is necessary to confirm the connection between the way curricula address a socioscientific issue and develop or suppress scientific literacy. Additionally, further analysis is necessary to confirm the connection between corporate-sponsored curricula and the suppression of socioscientific issues, scientific literacy, and critical pedagogy. Finally, this study addressed only the intended results of the curricula. Further research is necessary to measure the actual impacts of these curricula on students.

Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

J. Peterson; D. Schmoldt; D. Peterson; J. Eilers; R. Fisher; R. Bachman

1992-01-01

Forest Service air resource managers in the Pacific Northwest are responsible for protecting class 1 wilderness areas from air pollution. To do this, they need scientifically defensible information to determine critical concentrations of air pollution having the potential to impact class 1 wilderness values. This report documents the results of a workshop where current...

Changing Perspectives: Exploring a Pedagogy to Examine Other Perspectives about Stem Cell Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

France, Bev; Mora, Helen A.; Bay, Jacquie L.

2012-01-01

This study explores how teachers developed and critically evaluated a range of teaching strategies that could support the discussion of a socio-scientific issue (SSI) that had the potential to be controversial. The issue was stem cell research and six New Zealand teachers of senior biology students (grades 12/13) took part in an action research…

Assessing Equity beyond Knowledge- and Skills-Based Outcomes: A Comparative Ethnography of Two Fourth-Grade Reform-Based Science Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlone, Heidi B.; Haun-Frank, Julie; Webb, Angela

2011-01-01

When evaluating equity, researchers often look at the "achievement gap." Privileging knowledge and skills as primary outcomes of science education misses other, more subtle, but critical, outcomes indexing inequitable science education. In this comparative ethnography, we examined what it meant to "be scientific" in two fourth-grade classes taught…

The Relationship between Prenatal and Postnatal Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Cognitive, Neuropsychological, and Behavioral Deficits: A Critical Appraisal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cicchetti, Domenic V.; Kaufman, Alan S.; Sparrow, Sara S.

2004-01-01

Our purpose in this report is to evaluate scientifically that body of literature relating the effects of prenatal and postnatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) upon neurobehavioral, health-related, and cognitive deficits in neonates, developing infants, children, and adults. The data derive from seven cohorts: six cohorts of mothers…

Students' Conceptions about Climate Change: Using Critical Evaluation to Influence Plausibility Reappraisals and Knowledge Reconstruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Douglas Adler

2012-01-01

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) reported a greater than 90% chance that human activities are responsible for global temperature increases over the last 50 years, as well as other climatic changes. The scientific report also states that alternative explanations (e.g., increasing energy received from the Sun) are less plausible…

Guidelines for evaluating air pollution impacts on class I wilderness areas in the Pacific Northwest.

Treesearch

Janice Peterson; Daniel L. Schmoldt; David Peterson; Joseph Eilers; Richard Fisher; Robert Bachman

1992-01-01

Forest Service air resource managers in the Pacific Northwest are responsible for protecting class I wilderness areas from air pollution. To do this, they need scientifically defensible information to determine critical concentrations of air pollution having the potential to impact class I wilderness values. This report documents the results of a workshop where current...

Teaching and Learning Science in the 21st Century: Challenging Critical Assumptions in Post-Secondary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaze, Amanda L.

2018-01-01

It is widely agreed upon that the goal of science education is building a scientifically literate society. Although there are a range of definitions for science literacy, most involve an ability to problem solve, make evidence-based decisions, and evaluate information in a manner that is logical. Unfortunately, science literacy appears to be an…

Perception of low dose radiation risks among radiation researchers in Korea

PubMed Central

Seo, Songwon; Lee, Dalnim; Park, Sunhoo; Jin, Young Woo; Lee, Seung-Sook

2017-01-01

Expert’s risk evaluation of radiation exposure strongly influences the public’s risk perception. Experts can inform laypersons of significant radiation information including health knowledge based on experimental data. However, some experts’ radiation risk perception is often based on non-conclusive scientific evidence (i.e., radiation levels below 100 millisievert), which is currently under debate. Examining perception levels among experts is important for communication with the public since these individual’s opinions have often exacerbated the public’s confusion. We conducted a survey of Korean radiation researchers to investigate their perceptions of the risks associated with radiation exposure below 100 millisievert. A linear regression analysis revealed that having ≥ 11 years’ research experience was a critical factor associated with radiation risk perception, which was inversely correlated with each other. Increased opportunities to understand radiation effects at < 100 millisievert could alter the public’s risk perception of radiation exposure. In addition, radiation researchers conceived that more scientific evidence reducing the uncertainty for radiation effects < 100 millisievert is necessary for successful public communication. We concluded that sustained education addressing scientific findings is a critical attribute that will affect the risk perception of radiation exposure. PMID:28166286

Searching for Scientific Literacy and Critical Pedagogy in Socioscientific Curricula: A Critical Discourse Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummings, Kristina M.

2017-01-01

The omnipresence of science and technology in our society require the development of a critical and scientifically literate citizenry. However, the inclusion of socioscientific issues, which are open-ended controversial issues informed by both science and societal factors such as politics, economics, and ethics, do not guarantee the development of…

Critical Realism and Statistical Methods--A Response to Nash

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, David

2007-01-01

This article offers a defence of critical realism in the face of objections Nash (2005) makes to it in a recent edition of this journal. It is argued that critical and scientific realisms are closely related and that both are opposed to statistical positivism. However, the suggestion is made that scientific realism retains (from statistical…

From science to evidence: the testimony on causation in the Bendectin cases.

PubMed

Sanders, J

1993-11-01

Critics of American tort law often question the ability of lay jurors to make factual determinations in trials involving complex scientific evidence. In this article, Professor Sanders attempts to refocus tort reform debate by studying how trial procedures themselves contribute to jurors' inability to properly assess scientific evidence. Professor Sanders' analysis centers on trials involving Bendectin, a drug which plaintiffs have claimed caused birth defects in the children of mothers who took it during pregnancy. After noting that the weight of scientific and federal judicial opinion concludes that plaintiffs cannot establish a causal link between Bendectin use and birth defects by a preponderance of the evidence, Professor Sanders analyzes the transcripts of six Bendectin trials to determine why jury verdicts do not comport with the weight of scientific and judicial opinion. Based on his conclusion that trials are incapable of adequately conveying the weight of scientific opinion to a lay jury, he evaluates the ability of various trial reform proposals to ameliorate this problem. Finally he recommends adopting proposals that would facilitate jurors' understanding of scientific evidence and lead to verdicts consistent with the weight of scientific opinion.

Teaching animal science: education or indoctrination?

PubMed

Schillo, K K

1997-04-01

Traditional animal science curricula ignore sociological aspects of scientific research and therefore portray scientific knowledge as value-free. This view gives rise to a teaching method that involves imparting lists of scientific facts that are to be accepted by students without critical evaluation. This amounts to little more than indoctrination and misrepresents science as a system of knowledge. An alternative approach is based on the view that science is a creative human activity that reflects the values and biases of its practitioners. The goal of this approach is to teach students to think analytically and to make independent judgments about scientific claims. This requires a scientific literacy: an understanding of principal scientific theories, the nature of scientific research, and the relationship between science and society. To achieve this goal, a teacher must become less of an authority figure, whose role is to simply pass on information, and more of a facilitator, whose role is to promote questioning, exploration, and synthesis. This requires a learning community in which students feel comfortable taking risks and develop the courage to make and defend judgments. This teaching approach enhances the intellectual and ethical development of students, allowing them to serve themselves and society in responsible ways.

Integrate Data into Scientific Workflows for Terrestrial Biosphere Model Evaluation through Brokers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Cook, R. B.; Du, F.; Dasgupta, A.; Poco, J.; Huntzinger, D. N.; Schwalm, C. R.; Boldrini, E.; Santoro, M.; Pearlman, J.; Pearlman, F.; Nativi, S.; Khalsa, S.

2013-12-01

Terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) have become integral tools for extrapolating local observations and process-level understanding of land-atmosphere carbon exchange to larger regions. Model-model and model-observation intercomparisons are critical to understand the uncertainties within model outputs, to improve model skill, and to improve our understanding of land-atmosphere carbon exchange. The DataONE Exploration, Visualization, and Analysis (EVA) working group is evaluating TBMs using scientific workflows in UV-CDAT/VisTrails. This workflow-based approach promotes collaboration and improved tracking of evaluation provenance. But challenges still remain. The multi-scale and multi-discipline nature of TBMs makes it necessary to include diverse and distributed data resources in model evaluation. These include, among others, remote sensing data from NASA, flux tower observations from various organizations including DOE, and inventory data from US Forest Service. A key challenge is to make heterogeneous data from different organizations and disciplines discoverable and readily integrated for use in scientific workflows. This presentation introduces the brokering approach taken by the DataONE EVA to fill the gap between TBMs' evaluation scientific workflows and cross-organization and cross-discipline data resources. The DataONE EVA started the development of an Integrated Model Intercomparison Framework (IMIF) that leverages standards-based discovery and access brokers to dynamically discover, access, and transform (e.g. subset and resampling) diverse data products from DataONE, Earth System Grid (ESG), and other data repositories into a format that can be readily used by scientific workflows in UV-CDAT/VisTrails. The discovery and access brokers serve as an independent middleware that bridge existing data repositories and TBMs evaluation scientific workflows but introduce little overhead to either component. In the initial work, an OpenSearch-based discovery broker is leveraged to provide a consistent mechanism for data discovery. Standards-based data services, including Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Coverage Service (WCS) and THREDDS are leveraged to provide on-demand data access and transformations through the data access broker. To ease the adoption of broker services, a package of broker client VisTrails modules have been developed to be easily plugged into scientific workflows. The initial IMIF has been successfully tested in selected model evaluation scenarios involved in the NASA-funded Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP).

Technology Thresholds for Microgravity: Status and Prospects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, D. A.

1996-01-01

The technological and economic thresholds for microgravity space research are estimated in materials science and biotechnology. In the 1990s, the improvement of materials processing has been identified as a national scientific priority, particularly for stimulating entrepreneurship. The substantial US investment at stake in these critical technologies includes six broad categories: aerospace, transportation, health care, information, energy, and the environment. Microgravity space research addresses key technologies in each area. The viability of selected space-related industries is critically evaluated and a market share philosophy is developed, namely that incremental improvements in a large markets efficiency is a tangible reward from space-based research.

[Critical thinking skills in the nursing diagnosis process].

PubMed

Bittencourt, Greicy Kelly Gouveia Dias; Crossetti, Maria da Graça Oliveira

2013-04-01

The aim of this study was to identify the critical thinking skills utilized in the nursing diagnosis process. This was an exploratory descriptive study conducted with seven nursing students on the application of a clinical case to identify critical thinking skills, as well as their justifications in the nursing diagnosis process. Content analysis was performed to evaluate descriptive data. Six participants reported that analysis, scientific and technical knowledge and logical reasoning skills are important in identifying priority nursing diagnoses; clinical experience was cited by five participants, knowledge about the patient and application of standards were mentioned by three participants; Furthermore, discernment and contextual perspective were skills noted by two participants. Based on these results, the use of critical thinking skills related to the steps of the nursing diagnosis process was observed. Therefore, that the application of this process may constitute a strategy that enables the development of critical thinking skills.

IARC monographs: 40 years of evaluating carcinogenic hazards to humans.

PubMed

Pearce, Neil; Blair, Aaron; Vineis, Paolo; Ahrens, Wolfgang; Andersen, Aage; Anto, Josep M; Armstrong, Bruce K; Baccarelli, Andrea A; Beland, Frederick A; Berrington, Amy; Bertazzi, Pier Alberto; Birnbaum, Linda S; Brownson, Ross C; Bucher, John R; Cantor, Kenneth P; Cardis, Elisabeth; Cherrie, John W; Christiani, David C; Cocco, Pierluigi; Coggon, David; Comba, Pietro; Demers, Paul A; Dement, John M; Douwes, Jeroen; Eisen, Ellen A; Engel, Lawrence S; Fenske, Richard A; Fleming, Lora E; Fletcher, Tony; Fontham, Elizabeth; Forastiere, Francesco; Frentzel-Beyme, Rainer; Fritschi, Lin; Gerin, Michel; Goldberg, Marcel; Grandjean, Philippe; Grimsrud, Tom K; Gustavsson, Per; Haines, Andy; Hartge, Patricia; Hansen, Johnni; Hauptmann, Michael; Heederik, Dick; Hemminki, Kari; Hemon, Denis; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Hoppin, Jane A; Huff, James; Jarvholm, Bengt; Kang, Daehee; Karagas, Margaret R; Kjaerheim, Kristina; Kjuus, Helge; Kogevinas, Manolis; Kriebel, David; Kristensen, Petter; Kromhout, Hans; Laden, Francine; Lebailly, Pierre; LeMasters, Grace; Lubin, Jay H; Lynch, Charles F; Lynge, Elsebeth; 't Mannetje, Andrea; McMichael, Anthony J; McLaughlin, John R; Marrett, Loraine; Martuzzi, Marco; Merchant, James A; Merler, Enzo; Merletti, Franco; Miller, Anthony; Mirer, Franklin E; Monson, Richard; Nordby, Karl-Cristian; Olshan, Andrew F; Parent, Marie-Elise; Perera, Frederica P; Perry, Melissa J; Pesatori, Angela Cecilia; Pirastu, Roberta; Porta, Miquel; Pukkala, Eero; Rice, Carol; Richardson, David B; Ritter, Leonard; Ritz, Beate; Ronckers, Cecile M; Rushton, Lesley; Rusiecki, Jennifer A; Rusyn, Ivan; Samet, Jonathan M; Sandler, Dale P; de Sanjose, Silvia; Schernhammer, Eva; Costantini, Adele Seniori; Seixas, Noah; Shy, Carl; Siemiatycki, Jack; Silverman, Debra T; Simonato, Lorenzo; Smith, Allan H; Smith, Martyn T; Spinelli, John J; Spitz, Margaret R; Stallones, Lorann; Stayner, Leslie T; Steenland, Kyle; Stenzel, Mark; Stewart, Bernard W; Stewart, Patricia A; Symanski, Elaine; Terracini, Benedetto; Tolbert, Paige E; Vainio, Harri; Vena, John; Vermeulen, Roel; Victora, Cesar G; Ward, Elizabeth M; Weinberg, Clarice R; Weisenburger, Dennis; Wesseling, Catharina; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Zahm, Shelia Hoar

2015-06-01

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Programme for the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans has been criticized for several of its evaluations, and also for the approach used to perform these evaluations. Some critics have claimed that failures of IARC Working Groups to recognize study weaknesses and biases of Working Group members have led to inappropriate classification of a number of agents as carcinogenic to humans. The authors of this Commentary are scientists from various disciplines relevant to the identification and hazard evaluation of human carcinogens. We examined criticisms of the IARC classification process to determine the validity of these concerns. Here, we present the results of that examination, review the history of IARC evaluations, and describe how the IARC evaluations are performed. We concluded that these recent criticisms are unconvincing. The procedures employed by IARC to assemble Working Groups of scientists from the various disciplines and the techniques followed to review the literature and perform hazard assessment of various agents provide a balanced evaluation and an appropriate indication of the weight of the evidence. Some disagreement by individual scientists to some evaluations is not evidence of process failure. The review process has been modified over time and will undoubtedly be altered in the future to improve the process. Any process can in theory be improved, and we would support continued review and improvement of the IARC processes. This does not mean, however, that the current procedures are flawed. The IARC Monographs have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the scientific underpinning for societal actions to improve the public's health.

Heterogeneous High Throughput Scientific Computing with APM X-Gene and Intel Xeon Phi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdurachmanov, David; Bockelman, Brian; Elmer, Peter; Eulisse, Giulio; Knight, Robert; Muzaffar, Shahzad

2015-05-01

Electrical power requirements will be a constraint on the future growth of Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) as used by High Energy Physics. Performance-per-watt is a critical metric for the evaluation of computer architectures for cost- efficient computing. Additionally, future performance growth will come from heterogeneous, many-core, and high computing density platforms with specialized processors. In this paper, we examine the Intel Xeon Phi Many Integrated Cores (MIC) co-processor and Applied Micro X-Gene ARMv8 64-bit low-power server system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for scientific computing applications. We report our experience on software porting, performance and energy efficiency and evaluate the potential for use of such technologies in the context of distributed computing systems such as the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG).

Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking

PubMed Central

Rowe, Matthew P.; Gillespie, B. Marcus; Harris, Kevin R.; Koether, Steven D.; Shannon, Li-Jen Y.; Rose, Lori A.

2015-01-01

Recent studies question the effectiveness of a traditional university curriculum in helping students improve their critical thinking and scientific literacy. We developed an introductory, general education (gen ed) science course to overcome both deficiencies. The course, titled Foundations of Science, differs from most gen ed science offerings in that it is interdisciplinary; emphasizes the nature of science along with, rather than primarily, the findings of science; incorporates case studies, such as the vaccine-autism controversy; teaches the basics of argumentation and logical fallacies; contrasts science with pseudoscience; and addresses psychological factors that might otherwise lead students to reject scientific ideas they find uncomfortable. Using a pretest versus posttest design, we show that students who completed the experimental course significantly improved their critical-thinking skills and were more willing to engage scientific theories the general public finds controversial (e.g., evolution), while students who completed a traditional gen ed science course did not. Our results demonstrate that a gen ed science course emphasizing the process and application of science rather than just scientific facts can lead to improved critical thinking and scientific literacy. PMID:26231561

Critically evaluated/distributed database of IRAS LRS spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stencel, R. E.

1993-01-01

Accomplishments under this grant effort include: successful scientific utilization of the IRAS Low Resolution Spectrometer (LRS) database of over 150,000 scans of 7-23 micron spectra for over 50,000 celestial sources; publication in refereed journal of an additional 486 critically evaluated spectra of sources brighter than 20 Jy, completing the LRS ATLAS (Olnon and Raimond 1986 A&A) uniformly to that level, and production of an additional 1,830 critically evaluated spectra of sources brighter than 10 Jy; creation and maintenance of on-line, remotely accessible LRS spectra of over 7500 sources; cooperation with Astrophysics Data System personnel for transitioning this LRS database to the ADS access system after funding for this project expires; and publication of research highlights, which include a systematic variation of the shapes of LRS silicate features among stars of differing IRAS broad-band colors, maser characteristics and light curve asymmetries, all correlated with the chemical and physical development and processing of solid phase materials, and preliminary evidence for silicate profile variations in individual stars as a function of visual light curve phase.

Guidelines for the Design and Conduct of Clinical Studies in Knee Articular Cartilage Repair

PubMed Central

Mithoefer, Kai; Saris, Daniel B.F.; Farr, Jack; Kon, Elizaveta; Zaslav, Kenneth; Cole, Brian J.; Ranstam, Jonas; Yao, Jian; Shive, Matthew; Levine, David; Dalemans, Wilfried; Brittberg, Mats

2011-01-01

Objective: To summarize current clinical research practice and develop methodological standards for objective scientific evaluation of knee cartilage repair procedures and products. Design: A comprehensive literature review was performed of high-level original studies providing information relevant for the design of clinical studies on articular cartilage repair in the knee. Analysis of cartilage repair publications and synopses of ongoing trials were used to identify important criteria for the design, reporting, and interpretation of studies in this field. Results: Current literature reflects the methodological limitations of the scientific evidence available for articular cartilage repair. However, clinical trial databases of ongoing trials document a trend suggesting improved study designs and clinical evaluation methodology. Based on the current scientific information and standards of clinical care, detailed methodological recommendations were developed for the statistical study design, patient recruitment, control group considerations, study endpoint definition, documentation of results, use of validated patient-reported outcome instruments, and inclusion and exclusion criteria for the design and conduct of scientifically sound cartilage repair study protocols. A consensus statement among the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and contributing authors experienced in clinical trial design and implementation was achieved. Conclusions: High-quality clinical research methodology is critical for the optimal evaluation of current and new cartilage repair technologies. In addition to generally applicable principles for orthopedic study design, specific criteria and considerations apply to cartilage repair studies. Systematic application of these criteria and considerations can facilitate study designs that are scientifically rigorous, ethical, practical, and appropriate for the question(s) being addressed in any given cartilage repair research project. PMID:26069574

Using systematic review in occupational safety and health.

PubMed

Howard, John; Piacentino, John; MacMahon, Kathleen; Schulte, Paul

2017-11-01

Evaluation of scientific evidence is critical in developing recommendations to reduce risk. Healthcare was the first scientific field to employ a systematic review approach for synthesizing research findings to support evidence-based decision-making and it is still the largest producer and consumer of systematic reviews. Systematic reviews in the field of occupational safety and health are being conducted, but more widespread use and adoption would strengthen assessments. In 2016, NIOSH asked RAND to develop a framework for applying the traditional systematic review elements to the field of occupational safety and health. This paper describes how essential systematic review elements can be adapted for use in occupational systematic reviews to enhance their scientific quality, objectivity, transparency, reliability, utility, and acceptability. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Target loads of atmospheric sulfur deposition for the protection and recovery of acid-sensitive streams in the Southern Blue Ridge Province

Treesearch

Timothy Sullivan; Bernard Cosby; William Jackson

2011-01-01

An important tool in the evaluation of acidification damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems is the critical load (CL), which represents the steady-state level of acidic deposition below which ecological damage would not be expected to occur, according to current scientific understanding. A deposition load intended to be protective of a specified resource...

Arabidopsis research requires a critical re-evaluation of genetic tools.

PubMed

Nikonorova, Natalia; Yue, Kun; Beeckman, Tom; De Smet, Ive

2018-06-27

An increasing number of reports question conclusions based on loss-of-function lines that have unexpected genetic backgrounds. In this opinion paper, we urge researchers to meticulously (re)investigate phenotypes retrieved from various genetic backgrounds and be critical regarding some previously drawn conclusions. As an example, we provide new evidence that acr4-2 mutant phenotypes with respect to columella stem cells are due to the lack of ACR4 and not - at least not as a major contributor - to a mutation in QRT1. In addition, we take the opportunity to alert the scientific community about the qrt1-2 background of a large number of Syngenta Arabidopsis Insertion Library (SAIL) T-DNA lines, a feature that is not commonly recognized by Arabidopsis researchers. This qrt1-2 background might have an important impact on the interpretation of the results obtained using these research tools, now and in the past. In conclusion, as a community, we should continuously assess and - if necessary - correct our conclusions based on the large number of (genetic) tools our work is built on. In addition, the positive or negative results of this self-criticism should be made available to the scientific community.

[From relativism to evaluation. Recent trends in the historiography of science and the humanities].

PubMed

Jonker, Ed

2011-01-01

Historians of science have taken leave of finalism. No longer do they write teleological histories of scientific progress. Instead of a grand narrative on the triumph of science they now tend to write small stories on local knowledge. This is the result of several decades of criticism of Whig history. Starting with neo-marxist critique in the interwar years, enhanced in the social history of the 1970s, science was seen as an economic commodity and as a social product. Cultural history and anthropology added the view that scientists and scholars are mere mortals, muddling through messy life. This critique was topped off with postmodern criticism of knowledge as power, which translates into the accusation that historiography is only legitimating cultural and political oppression. To counter these allegations, many historians have insulated themselves into a kind of retro-historicism that shies away from any teleology, coherence, meaning and evaluation. It depicts the production of knowledge as a practical, local activity that is strictly limited to its cultural context. No claims to truth, validity, let alone progress or even development were allowed. This situation of rampant relativism could not last. Total abstinence of any evaluation of knowledge claims, quality of research or success of theories has proven unsatisfactory. The need has arisen to study broader issues of traveling knowledge and longer lines of scientific development. There is a shift of interest into traditions of knowledge that spring the bonds of locality and context. Why do some scientific theories and research practices succeed in surpassing paradigms and bridging epistemic ruptures? In this respect disciplines are in the process of being rehabilitated. Instead of oppressive structures they become the vehicles of sustained knowledge growth. Especially the role of education and academic training is focused on. Facing up to the charges of conceptual anachronism, historians of knowledge now opt for a cautiously evaluative history. The alternative would be an intellectually barren historicism.

Peer Review for EPA's Biologically Based Dose-Response ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is developing a regulation for perchlorate in drinking water. As part the regulatory process EPA must develop a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG). FDA and EPA scientists developed a biologically based dose-response (BBDR) model to assist in deriving the MCLG. This model is designed to determine under what conditions of iodine nutrition and exposure to perchlorate across sensitive lifestages would result in low serum free and total thyroxine (hypothyroxinemia). EPA is undertaking a peer review to provide a focused, objective independent peer evaluation of the draft model and its model results report. EPA is undertaking a peer review to provide a focused, objective independent peer evaluation of the draft model and its model results report. Peer review is an important component of the scientific process. The criticism, suggestions, and new ideas provided by the peer reviewers stimulate creative thought, strengthen the interpretation of the reviewed material, and confer credibility on the product. The peer review objective is to provide advice to EPA on steps that will yield a highly credible scientific product that is supported by the scientific community and a defensible perchlorate MCLG.

Learning spinal manipulation: A best-evidence synthesis of teaching methods.

PubMed

Stainsby, Brynne E; Clarke, Michelle C S; Egonia, Jade R

2016-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different reported methods used to teach spinal manipulative therapy to chiropractic students. For this best-evidence literature synthesis, 5 electronic databases were searched from 1900 to 2015. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the criteria of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Scientifically admissible studies were synthesized following best-evidence synthesis principles. Twenty articles were critically appraised, including 9 randomized clinical trials, 9 cohort studies, and 2 systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Eleven articles were accepted as scientifically admissible. The type of teaching method aids included a Thrust in Motion cervical manikin, instrumented cardiopulmonary reanimation manikin, padded contact with a load cell, instrumented treatment table with force sensor/transducer, and Dynadjust instrument. Several different methods exist in the literature for teaching spinal manipulative therapy techniques; however, future research in this developing area of chiropractic education is proposed. It is suggested that various teaching methods be included in the regular curricula of chiropractic colleges to aid in developing manipulation skills, efficiency, and knowledge of performance.

Numeric data distribution: The vital role of data exchange in today's world

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, Malcolm W.

1994-01-01

The major aim of the NIST standard Reference Data Program (SRD) is to provide critically evaluated numeric data to the scientific and technical community in a convenient and accessible form. A second aim of the program is to provide feedback into the experimental and theoretical programs to help raise the general standards of measurement. By communicating the experience gained in evaluating the world output of data in the physical sciences, NIST/SRD helps to advance the level of experimental techniques and improve the reliability of physical measurements.

A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Information Related to the Biology and Management of Species of Special Concern at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Jonathan B.; Erwin, R. Michael; French, John B.; Marion, Jeffrey L.; Meyers, J. Michael

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC) conducted a study for the National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Region, Atlanta, GA, and Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CAHA) in North Carolina to review, evaluate, and summarize the available scientific information for selected species of concern at CAHA (piping plovers, sea turtles, seabeach amaranth, American oystercatchers, and colonial waterbirds). This work consisted of reviewing the scientific literature and evaluating the results of studies that examined critical life history stages of each species, and focused on the scientific findings reported that are relevant to the management of these species and their habitats at CAHA. The chapters that follow provide the results of that review separately for each species and present scientifically based options for resource management at CAHA. Although no new original research or experimental work was conducted, this synthesis of the existing information was peer reviewed by over 15 experts with familiarity with these species. This report does not establish NPS management protocols but does highlight scientific information on the biology of these species to be considered by NPS managers who make resource management decisions at CAHA. To ensure that the best available information is considered when assessing each species of interest at CAHA, this review included published research as well as practical experience of scientists and wildlife managers who were consulted in 2005. PWRC scientists evaluated the literature, consulted wildlife managers, and produced an initial draft that was sent to experts for scientific review. Revisions based on those comments were incorporated into the document. The final draft of the document was reviewed by NPS personnel to ensure that the description of the recent status and management of these species at CAHA was accurately represented and that the report was consistent with our work agreement. The following section summarizes the biological information relevant to resource management for the species of concern at CAHA.

Analysis of students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santika, A. R.; Purwianingsih, W.; Nuraeni, E.

2018-05-01

Critical thinking is a skills the which students should have in order to face 21st century demands. Critical thinking skills can help people in facing their daily problems, especially problems roommates relate to science. This research is aimed to analyze students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject. The method used in this research was descriptive method. The research subject is first-grade students’ in senior high school. The data collected by interview and open-ended question the which classified based on framework : (1) question at issue, (2) information (3) purpose (4) concepts (5) assumptions, (6) point of view, (7) interpretation and inference, and (8) implication and consequences, then it will be assessed by using rubrics. The result of the data showed students critical thinking skills in socio-scientific issues of biodiversity subject is in low and medium category. Therefore we need a learning activity that is able to develop student’s critical thinking skills, especially regarding issues of social science.

Principles of Research Tissue Banking and Specimen Evaluation from the Pathologist's Perspective.

PubMed

McDonald, Sandra A

2010-12-01

Human tissue biorepositories have an increasingly visible and important role within industrial enterprises in supporting biomedical research, including the rapidly advancing fields of proteomics, pharmacogenomics, and molecular epidemiology. Pathologists play a vital but often underrecognized role in the operation of these tissue banks. Besides interpreting studies that arise from banked samples, pathologists are needed to characterize tissues for research, to conduct quality assurance programs, to assist with resource allocation decisions, and to serve an educational role for investigators using the tissues. This article describes these key principles and illustrates examples where pathologist involvement is crucial to biorepository management. Of overarching importance, pathologists play a critical role in helping biorepository users understand the principles of specimen evaluation (histologic and structural composition of tissues, and their limitations) so as to optimize the scientific benefit of the tissues. In conclusion, greater involvement of pathologists in research tissue banking will enhance the scientific utility of biorepositories.

A report on case reports

PubMed Central

Gopikrishna, Velayutham

2010-01-01

Case reports are defined as the scientific documentation of a single clinical observation and have a time-honored and rich tradition in medicine and scientific publication. This article discusses the role and relevance of case reports in the current evidence-based medical literature. It also seeks to help and guide authors to understand how to prepare a reasonable and well-written case report and how they may anticipate concerns that peer reviewers may express when scrutinizing their manuscript. An overview of the Journal of Conservative Dentistry’s review process of a manuscript submission is provided for the benefit of future authors. It is important to be able to read a case report critically and to use the information they contain appropriately. This article also discusses the factors to consider in evaluating individual case reports, and discusses a practical conceptual scheme for evaluating the potential value and educational content of a case report. PMID:21217956

A flexible e-learning resource promoting the critical reading of scientific papers for science undergraduates.

PubMed

Letchford, Julie; Corradi, Hazel; Day, Trevor

2017-11-01

An important aim of undergraduate science education is to develop student skills in reading and evaluating research papers. We have designed, developed, and implemented an on-line interactive resource entitled "Evaluating Scientific Research literature" (ESRL) aimed at students from the first 2 years of the undergraduate program. In this article, we describe the resource, then use student data collected from questionnaire surveys to evaluate the resource within 2 years of its launch. Our results add to those reported previously and indicate that ESRL can enable students to start evaluating research articles when used during their undergraduate program. We conclude maximal learning is likely to occur when the resource can be embedded in the curriculum such that students have a clearly articulated context for the resource's activities, can see their relevance in relation to assessed assignments and can be encouraged to think deeply about the activities in conversation with one another and/or with staff. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):483-490, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Communicating Science Broadly: An NSF Point of View

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leinen, M. S.

2006-12-01

In the view of NSF, communicating about both the process of doing science and about scientific results are of paramount importance. But those of us in the agency are not the ones who do the science or generate the results. Thus, our policy is to encourage the community we fund to communicate their results as broadly as possible. Why does NSF feel so strongly about communicating scientific results? First, science only moves forward when there is free and open debate about scientific results through public mechanisms in which there is an opportunity for thorough analysis (e.g. scientific literature, professional meetings and workshops). Second, the research we support is done for the good of the public and should be communicated to the public. Third, scientific results are critical to many important decision-making processes and policy-making processes. Democracies thrive when an informed public is engaged, so communicating science broadly to the lay public is important. Why does NSF feel so strongly about communicating about the process of science? Science is a habit of mind; an orderly process for testing ideas. But many do not understand how science is done, the difference between fact and conjecture, why speculation, hypotheses and theory are critical to progress, or why the culture of constructive criticism is essential to progress. Without this context, science can be misunderstood as magic, opinion, or argument. Thus the efforts that we fund to enhance scientific education and outreach are critical to having discourse about scientific results.

Understanding the Complex Relationship between Critical Thinking and Science Reasoning among Undergraduate Thesis Writers.

PubMed

Dowd, Jason E; Thompson, Robert J; Schiff, Leslie A; Reynolds, Julie A

2018-01-01

Developing critical-thinking and scientific reasoning skills are core learning objectives of science education, but little empirical evidence exists regarding the interrelationships between these constructs. Writing effectively fosters students' development of these constructs, and it offers a unique window into studying how they relate. In this study of undergraduate thesis writing in biology at two universities, we examine how scientific reasoning exhibited in writing (assessed using the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol) relates to general and specific critical-thinking skills (assessed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test), and we consider implications for instruction. We find that scientific reasoning in writing is strongly related to inference , while other aspects of science reasoning that emerge in writing (epistemological considerations, writing conventions, etc.) are not significantly related to critical-thinking skills. Science reasoning in writing is not merely a proxy for critical thinking. In linking features of students' writing to their critical-thinking skills, this study 1) provides a bridge to prior work suggesting that engagement in science writing enhances critical thinking and 2) serves as a foundational step for subsequently determining whether instruction focused explicitly on developing critical-thinking skills (particularly inference ) can actually improve students' scientific reasoning in their writing. © 2018 J. E. Dowd et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2018 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Developing a Common Metric for Evaluating Police Performance in Deadly Force Situations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-27

2005).“Police Inservice Deadly Force Training and Requalification in Washington State.” Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 5(2):67-86. NIJ Metric...OF: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background There is a critical lack of scientific evidence about whether deadly force management, accountability and training ...Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS training metrics develoment, deadly encounters

Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 1993 Research Highlights.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

used to describe the behavior of critical point phenomena by Nobel laureate Dr. Kenneth Wilson. Their research has produced useful engineering...40 years of its existence, AFOSR has supported the work of about two dozen scientists who, later, have been awarded the Nobel prize as well as a...locations and types of sensor or actuator elements that are suitable for structurally- integrated nondestructive evaluation ( NDE ) systems. The basic

Objectivity, abstraction, and the individual: the influence of Søren Kierkegaard on Paul Feyerabend.

PubMed

Kidd, Ian James

2011-03-01

This paper explores the influence of Søren Kierkegaard upon Paul Feyerabend by examining their common criticisms of totalising accounts of human nature. Both complained that philosophical and scientific theories of human nature which were methodologically committed to objectivity and abstraction failed to capture the richness of human experience. Kierkegaard and Feyerabend argued that philosophy and the science were threatening to become obstacles to human development by imposing abstract theories of human nature and reality which denied the complexities of both. In both cases, this took the form of asserting an 'existential' criterion for the assessment of philosophical and scientific theories. Kierkegaard also made remarks upon the inappropriateness of applying natural scientific methods to human beings which Feyerabend later expanded and developed in his criticisms of the inability of the 'scientific world-view' to accommodate the values necessary to a flourishing human life. I conclude by noting some differences between Kierkegaard and Feyerabend's positions and by affirming the value of existential criticisms of scientific knowledge.

A participative model for undertaking and evaluating scientific communication in Earth Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

L'Astorina, Alba; Tomasoni, Irene

2015-04-01

Public communication of Science and Technology (PCST) is an integral part of the mission of the Italian National Research Council (CNR) and widely carried out among the scientific community. Recently it has also become a research field investigating practices, channels, tools and models of public engagement and their impact on the relation between Science and Society. Understanding such aspects is increasingly considered relevant for an effective and aware outreach. Within this context, CNR has adopted some innovative communication approaches addressed to different publics, such as stakeholders, users, media, young people and the general public, using participative methodologies. Besides being practices of communication promoting the scientific culture, such initiatives aim at understanding the models at the basis of the relationship between the scientific community and the public. To what extent do scientists put their communication and involvement strategies in discussion? Do they use to have a real exchange with their publics in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the participatory techniques they adopt in communicating and disseminating their activities? In this paper we present a case study of a communication and educational proposal recently developed by CNR in order to promote a mutual exchange between Education/School and Research, that are the most important actors in the production and the revision of the scientific knowledge. The proposal brings an ongoing CNR research project (its steps, subjects, tools, activities, costs etc) in classrooms, making use of interactive Earth Sciences workshops conducted directly by researchers. The ongoing CNR project shared with students studies Innovative Methodologies of Earth Observation supporting the Agricultural sector in Lombardy. It aims at exploiting the Aerospace Earth Observation (EO) tools to develop dedicated agricultural downstream services that will bring added economic value and benefits for Lombardy public administrations and citizens. This initiative aims at introducing students to the world of the research and scientific production and vice versa to connect scientists with the educational world, its language and its teaching models. The exchange Research-School is mutual and real. The goal is so twofold: introducing students to a critical/concrete vision of the scientific process and inviting scientists to reflect on PCST activities, participative models and their critical aspects Doing so, in fact, researchers have the chance to open a dialogue with the educational world - to better understand it, its lacks, needs, reasoning and, as a result, improve their own communication/involvement approaches. At the same time, schools, being co-players of a scientific research project and following side by side scientists in their procedures, can actively participate, give personal contributions and feedbacks. The initiative represents an attempt of 'participative research' in which researchers and students can freely express their expectations, acquire information, test new approaches and build together a piece of knowledge. The proposal makes use of participative methodologies and qualitative tools for evaluating the involvement of students, teachers and researchers and analyzing the communication model implied in the relation among them. In EGU presentation the first results of this evaluation process will be reported.

Evaluation of a Petition Requesting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to List the Smooth Hammerhead Shark (Sphryna zygaena) as a Threatened or Endangered Species Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturm, A. B.

2016-12-01

The wildlife conservation organization, Defenders of Wildlife, petitioned NMFS to list the smooth hammerhead shark, Sphryna zygaena, as endangered or threatened throughout its range under the ESA. The petition was critically evaluated to determine if the petitioners presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing under the ESA. The petition and the cited scientific literature (as well as scientific literature readily available in NMFS files) were evaluated to determine if the smooth hammerhead shark may be threatened or endangered because of any one or a combination of the following five ESA section 4(a)(1) factors: (1) present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (2) over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (3) disease or predation; (4) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; (5) or other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. The available scientific literature indicates that the smooth hammerhead shark populations have declined in multiple regions. Smooth hammerhead sharks may warrant listing due to ongoing threats of over utilization for commercial purposes by global fisheries that target and retain incidental catch of these species to obtain their high-value fins, possible inadequacies in global regulatory mechanisms to control this level of exploitation, and natural factors (such as inherent biological vulnerabilities) that may be exacerbating these threats. Based on these findings, the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA and a status review of the species is currently being conducted.

Evaluation of a Petition Requesting National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to List the Smooth Hammerhead Shark (Sphryna zygaena) as a Threatened or Endangered Species Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturm, A. B.

2016-02-01

The wildlife conservation organization, Defenders of Wildlife, petitioned NMFS to list the smooth hammerhead shark, Sphryna zygaena, as endangered or threatened throughout its range under the ESA. The petition was critically evaluated to determine if the petitioners presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing under the ESA. The petition and the cited scientific literature (as well as scientific literature readily available in NMFS files) were evaluated to determine if the smooth hammerhead shark may be threatened or endangered because of any one or a combination of the following five ESA section 4(a)(1) factors: (1) present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (2) over utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (3) disease or predation; (4) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; (5) or other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence. The available scientific literature indicates that the smooth hammerhead shark populations have declined in multiple regions. Smooth hammerhead sharks may warrant listing due to ongoing threats of over utilization for commercial purposes by global fisheries that target and retain incidental catch of these species to obtain their high-value fins, possible inadequacies in global regulatory mechanisms to control this level of exploitation, and natural factors (such as inherent biological vulnerabilities) that may be exacerbating these threats. Based on these findings, the smooth hammerhead shark may warrant listing as a threatened or endangered species under the ESA and a status review of the species is currently being conducted.

Assessment of Teaching Methods and Critical Thinking in a Course for Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speck, Angela; Ruzhitskaya, L.; Whittington, A. G.

2014-01-01

Ability to think critically is a key ingredient to the scientific mindset. Students who take science courses may or may not be predisposed to critical thinking - the ability to evaluate information analytically. Regardless of their initial stages, students can significantly improve their critical thinking through learning and practicing their reasoning skills, critical assessments, conducting and reflecting on observations and experiments, building their questioning and communication skills, and through the use of other techniques. While, there are several of teaching methods that may help to improve critical thinking, there are only a few assessment instruments that can help in evaluating the efficacy of these methods. Critical thinking skills and improvement in those skills are notoriously difficult to measure. Assessments that are based on multiple-choice questions demonstrate students’ final decisions but not their thinking processes. In addition, during the course of studies students may develop subject-based critical thinking while not being able to extend the skills to the general critical thinking. As such, we wanted to design and conduct a study on efficacy of several teaching methods in which we would learn how students’ improve their thinking processes within a science discipline as well as in everyday life situations. We conducted a study among 20 astronomy, physics and geology majors-- both graduate and undergraduate students-- enrolled in our Solar System Science course (mostly seniors and early graduate students) at the University of Missouri. We used the Ennis-Weir Critical Thinking Essay test to assess students’ general critical thinking and, in addition, we implemented our own subject-based critical thinking assessment. Here, we present the results of this study and share our experience on designing a subject-based critical thinking assessment instrument.

A case-study of a socio-scientific issues curricular and pedagogical intervention in an undergraduate microbiology course: A focus on informal reasoning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schalk, Kelly A.

The purpose of this investigation was to measure specific ways a student interest SSI-based curricular and pedagogical affects undergraduates' ability informally reason. The delimited components of informal reasoning measured were undergraduates' Nature of Science conceptualizations and ability to evaluate scientific information. The socio-scientific issues (SSI) theoretical framework used in this case-study has been advocated as a means for improving students' functional scientific literacy. This investigation focused on the laboratory component of an undergraduate microbiology course in spring 2008. There were 26 participants. The instruments used in this study included: (1) Individual and Group research projects, (2) journals, (3) laboratory write-ups, (4) a laboratory quiz, (5) anonymous evaluations, and (6) a pre/post article exercise. All instruments yielded qualitative data, which were coded using the qualitative software NVivo7. Data analyses were subjected to instrumental triangulation, inter-rater reliability, and member-checking. It was determined that undergraduates' epistemological knowledge of scientific discovery, processes, and justification matured in response to the intervention. Specifically, students realized: (1) differences between facts, theories, and opinions; (2) testable questions are not definitively proven; (3) there is no stepwise scientific process; and (4) lack of data weakens a claim. It was determined that this knowledge influenced participants' beliefs and ability to informally reason. For instance, students exhibited more critical evaluations of scientific information. It was also found that undergraduates' prior opinions had changed over the semester. Further, the student interest aspect of this framework engaged learners by offering participants several opportunities to influentially examine microbiology issues that affected their life. The investigation provided empirically based insights into the ways undergraduates' interest and functional scientific literacy can be promoted. The investigation advanced what was known about using SSI-based frameworks to the post-secondary learner context. Outstanding questions remain for investigation. For example, is this type of student interest SSI-based intervention broadly applicable (i.e., in other science disciplines and grade levels)? And, what challenges would teachers in diverse contexts encounter when implementing a SSI-based theoretical framework?

The Scientific Method - Critical and Creative Thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cotton, John; Scarlise, Randall

2011-10-01

The ``scientific method'' is not just for scientists! Combined with critical thinking, the scientific method can enable students to distinguish credible sources of information from nonsense and become intelligent consumers of information. Professors John Cotton and Randall Scalise illustrate these principles using a series of examples and demonstrations that is enlightening, educational, and entertaining. This lecture/demonstration features highlights from their course (whose unofficial title is ``debunking pseudoscience'' ) which enables students to detect pseudoscience in its many guises: paranormal phenomena, free-energy devices, alternative medicine, and many others.

Fostering Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking in Elementary Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vieira, Rui Marques; Tenreiro-Vieira, Celina

2016-01-01

Scientific literacy (SL) and critical thinking (CT) are key components of science education aiming to prepare students to think and to function as responsible citizens in a world increasingly affected by science and technology (S&T). Therefore, students should be given opportunities in their science classes to be engaged in learning…

A guide to writing a scientific paper: a focus on high school through graduate level student research.

PubMed

Hesselbach, Renee A; Petering, David H; Berg, Craig A; Tomasiewicz, Henry; Weber, Daniel

2012-12-01

This article presents a detailed guide for high school through graduate level instructors that leads students to write effective and well-organized scientific papers. Interesting research emerges from the ability to ask questions, define problems, design experiments, analyze and interpret data, and make critical connections. This process is incomplete, unless new results are communicated to others because science fundamentally requires peer review and criticism to validate or discard proposed new knowledge. Thus, a concise and clearly written research paper is a critical step in the scientific process and is important for young researchers as they are mastering how to express scientific concepts and understanding. Moreover, learning to write a research paper provides a tool to improve science literacy as indicated in the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (1996), and A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2011), the underlying foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards currently being developed. Background information explains the importance of peer review and communicating results, along with details of each critical component, the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Specific steps essential to helping students write clear and coherent research papers that follow a logical format, use effective communication, and develop scientific inquiry are described.

A Guide to Writing a Scientific Paper: A Focus on High School Through Graduate Level Student Research

PubMed Central

Petering, David H.; Berg, Craig A.; Tomasiewicz, Henry; Weber, Daniel

2012-01-01

Abstract This article presents a detailed guide for high school through graduate level instructors that leads students to write effective and well-organized scientific papers. Interesting research emerges from the ability to ask questions, define problems, design experiments, analyze and interpret data, and make critical connections. This process is incomplete, unless new results are communicated to others because science fundamentally requires peer review and criticism to validate or discard proposed new knowledge. Thus, a concise and clearly written research paper is a critical step in the scientific process and is important for young researchers as they are mastering how to express scientific concepts and understanding. Moreover, learning to write a research paper provides a tool to improve science literacy as indicated in the National Research Council's National Science Education Standards (1996), and A Framework for K–12 Science Education (2011), the underlying foundation for the Next Generation Science Standards currently being developed. Background information explains the importance of peer review and communicating results, along with details of each critical component, the Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Specific steps essential to helping students write clear and coherent research papers that follow a logical format, use effective communication, and develop scientific inquiry are described. PMID:23094692

Environmental assessment for the satellite power system-concept development and evaluation program-microwave health and ecological effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Potential health and ecological effects of the microwave beam from the microwave power transmission system (MPTS) of the satellite power system (SPS) are discussed. A detailed critical review of selected scientific articles from the published literature on the biological effects of nonionizing electromagnetic radiation is provided followed by an assessment of the possible effects of the SPS, based on exposure values for the reference system.

Navy Contracting: Analyzing Critical Success Factors and Perceived Impact on Success within an Organization

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

analysis of CSF survey results conducted to test for similarities amongst the different contracting agencies. This analysis will help further the academic...acquisition; test and evaluation; training facilities and equipment; repair and modification; and in-service engineering and logistics support (NAVAIR...138 253,191,378.22 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. 1,240 248,606,761.32 SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CORP 945 242,823,383.93 HENSEL PHELPS CONSTRUCTION CO 65

Interview with Janet Woodcock: progress on the FDA's critical path initiative.

PubMed

Woodcock, Janet

2009-12-01

Janet Woodcock is the Director of the US FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Dr Woodcock has held various positions within the FDA's Office of the Commissioner from October 2003 until 1 April, 2008, as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Chief Operating Officer and Director of the Critical Path Programs. She oversaw scientific and medical regulatory operations for the FDA. Dr Woodcock served as Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA from 1994 to 2005. She previously served in other positions at the FDA including Director of the Office of Therapeutics Research and Review and Acting Deputy Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Dr Woodcock received her MD from Northwestern Medical School (IL, USA), and completed further training and held teaching appointments at the Pennsylvania State University (PA, USA)and the University of California in San Francisco (CA, USA). She joined the FDA in 1986.

NASA Johnson Space Center Biomedical Research Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paloski, W. H.

1999-01-01

Johnson Space Center (JSC) medical sciences laboratories constitute a national resource for support of medical operations and life sciences research enabling a human presence in space. They play a critical role in evaluating, defining, and mitigation the untoward effect of human adaption to space flight. Over the years they have developed the unique facilities and expertise required to perform: biomedical sample analysis and physiological performance tests supporting medical evaluations of space flight crew members and scientific investigations of the operationally relevant medical, physiological, cellular, and biochemical issues associated with human space flight. A general overview of these laboratories is presented in viewgraph form.

Conscious worst case definition for risk assessment, part I: a knowledge mapping approach for defining most critical risk factors in integrative risk management of chemicals and nanomaterials.

PubMed

Sørensen, Peter B; Thomsen, Marianne; Assmuth, Timo; Grieger, Khara D; Baun, Anders

2010-08-15

This paper helps bridge the gap between scientists and other stakeholders in the areas of human and environmental risk management of chemicals and engineered nanomaterials. This connection is needed due to the evolution of stakeholder awareness and scientific progress related to human and environmental health which involves complex methodological demands on risk management. At the same time, the available scientific knowledge is also becoming more scattered across multiple scientific disciplines. Hence, the understanding of potentially risky situations is increasingly multifaceted, which again challenges risk assessors in terms of giving the 'right' relative priority to the multitude of contributing risk factors. A critical issue is therefore to develop procedures that can identify and evaluate worst case risk conditions which may be input to risk level predictions. Therefore, this paper suggests a conceptual modelling procedure that is able to define appropriate worst case conditions in complex risk management. The result of the analysis is an assembly of system models, denoted the Worst Case Definition (WCD) model, to set up and evaluate the conditions of multi-dimensional risk identification and risk quantification. The model can help optimize risk assessment planning by initial screening level analyses and guiding quantitative assessment in relation to knowledge needs for better decision support concerning environmental and human health protection or risk reduction. The WCD model facilitates the evaluation of fundamental uncertainty using knowledge mapping principles and techniques in a way that can improve a complete uncertainty analysis. Ultimately, the WCD is applicable for describing risk contributing factors in relation to many different types of risk management problems since it transparently and effectively handles assumptions and definitions and allows the integration of different forms of knowledge, thereby supporting the inclusion of multifaceted risk components in cumulative risk management. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Marshall Islands Data Management Program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoker, A.C.; Conrado, C.L.

1995-09-01

This report is a resource document of the methods and procedures used currently in the Data Management Program of the Marshall Islands Dose Assessment and Radioecology Project. Since 1973, over 60,000 environmental samples have been collected. Our program includes relational database design, programming and maintenance; sample and information management; sample tracking; quality control; and data entry, evaluation and reduction. The usefulness of scientific databases involves careful planning in order to fulfill the requirements of any large research program. Compilation of scientific results requires consolidation of information from several databases, and incorporation of new information as it is generated. The successmore » in combining and organizing all radionuclide analysis, sample information and statistical results into a readily accessible form, is critical to our project.« less

Treatment Nonadherence in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Identification, Scope, and Management Strategies.

PubMed

Herman, Margot L; Kane, Sunanda V

2015-12-01

Treatment adherence is of critical importance in the management of patients with IBD. Poor adherence can lead to increased disease activity, loss of response to therapy, and increased costs of care. It has been well established that adherence to long-term therapy for chronic illnesses is extremely poor, averaging around 50% in developed countries. Measured rates of nonadherence in IBD are similar, but vary depending on the type of therapy and the population being observed. This article reviews the scientific data on treatment nonadherence in IBD. The methods commonly used to evaluate treatment adherence investigation are reviewed. The consequences and scope of treatment nonadherence are summarized. Finally, the scientific data on management strategies to address the problem of treatment nonadherence are explored.

A perspective on the safety of cosmetic products: a position paper of the American Council on Science and Health.

PubMed

Ross, Gilbert

2006-01-01

Over the years, some activist groups have targeted cosmetics as possible human health threats, claiming that cosmetic ingredients are not adequately tested for safety and may pose risks to consumers. The groups allege that industry practices related to safety testing are flawed, that there is little government oversight, and that cosmetics contain cancer-causing chemicals and other toxicants. A critical review of the scientific data related to these claims indicates the following: (1) Industry has the primary responsibility to ensure that all ingredients, preservatives, and coformulants used in products are safe for their intended uses. (2) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory oversight of the cosmetic industry. Its authority includes the banning or restriction of ingredients for safety reasons. (3) The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an independent, scientific review board, critically evaluates chemical ingredients used in cosmetics and publishes the results of its findings in the peer-reviewed literature. (4) Health-related allegations about cosmetic ingredients are generally based on the results of high-dose laboratory testing in animals and have little relevance for humans. As true now as when Paracelsus said it in the 16th century, "It is the dose that makes the poison." (5) The health-related allegations involving specific chemicals (e.g., phthalates, parabens, and 1,3-butadiene) fail to consider important scientific studies and recent regulatory conclusions about these chemicals, which have found that they are not hazardous. (6) Animal and human physiology differ in crucial ways, further invalidating simplistic attempts to extrapolate rodent testing to human health risks. The cosmetic industry should be encouraged to publish more of its toxicity studies and safety evaluations, which would aid in dispelling the uncertainty that some consumers have about cosmetic safety.

Integrating Scientific Argumentation to Improve Undergraduate Writing and Learning in a Global Environmental Change Course

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koffman, Bess G.; Kreutz, Karl J.; Trenbath, Kim

We present a strategy for using scientific argumentation in an early undergraduate laboratory course to teach disciplinary writing practices and to promote critical thinking, knowledge transformation, and understanding of the scientific method. The approach combines targeted writing instruction; data analysis and interpretation; formulation of a hypothesis; and construction of an argument. Students submit and receive feedback on two drafts of two different argumentation essays, providing the opportunity for guided practice. Each written argument is intended to draw on several weeks' course material, including short lectures, discussions, readings, and problem sets. Thus our aim with these writing assignments is to helpmore » students synthesize content and concepts, deepening their learning. We have found that this inquiry-based approach to writing engages students in course material, and significantly improves both writing and learning. We observed the greatest improvement among students with the lowest initial scores, suggesting that lower-achieving students benefitted disproportionately from this approach. Students have responded positively to the use of writing in the course, many stating on course evaluations that this is the first time they have received instruction in scientific writing. They have also pointed to a greater 'big-picture' understanding of the course gained through writing. We describe the course and our curriculum, and provide suggestions for implementation as well as rubrics used to evaluate problem sets and student argumentation essays.« less

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Oxides of Nitrogen ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is announcing the availability of the First External Review Draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Oxides of Nitrogen – Health Criteria for public comment and independent peer review. This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of oxides of nitrogen. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current primary (health-based) national ambient air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide. The Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to periodically review and revise, as appropriate, existing air quality criteria and NAAQS. The CAA also requires an independent scientific committee to review the criteria and to advise the Administrator regarding any recommended revisions to the existing criteria and standards, as may be appropriate. The Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) of EPA’s Science Advisory Board serves as this independent scientific committee. The ISA is one of the four major elements of the NAAQS review process that will inform the Agency’s final decisions; other components of the process are an integrated plan highlighting the key policy-relevant issues; a risk/exposure assessment if warranted; and an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) reflecting the Agency’s views regarding options to retain or revise the NO2 NAAQS based on the evaluation of key information cont

A model of "integrated scientific method" and its application for the analysis of instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusbult, Craig Francis

A model of 'integrated scientific method' (ISM) was constructed as a framework for describing the process of science in terms of activities (formulating a research problem, and inventing and evaluating actions--such as selecting and inventing theories, evaluating theories, designing experiments, and doing experiments--intended to solve the problem) and evaluation criteria (empirical, conceptual, and cultural-personal). Instead of trying to define the scientific method, ISM is intended to serve as a flexible framework that--by varying the characteristics of its components, their integrated relationships, and their relative importance can be used to describe a variety of scientific methods, and a variety of perspectives about what constitutes an accurate portrayal of scientific methods. This framework is outlined visually and verbally, followed by an elaboration of the framework and my own views about science, and an evaluation of whether ISM can serve as a relatively neutral framework for describing a wide range of science practices and science interpretations. ISM was used to analyze an innovative, guided inquiry classroom (taught by Susan Johnson, using Genetics Construction Kit software) in which students do simulated scientific research by solving classical genetics problems that require effect-to-cause reasoning and theory revision. The immediate goal of analysis was to examine the 'science experiences' of students, to determine how the 'structure of instruction' provides opportunities for these experiences. Another goal was to test and improve the descriptive and analytical utility of ISM. In developing ISM, a major objective was to make ISM educationally useful. A concluding discussion includes controversies about "the nature of science" and how to teach it, how instruction can expand opportunities for student experience, and how goal-oriented intentional learning (using ISM might improve the learning, retention, and transfer of thinking skills. Potential educational applications of ISM could involve its use for instructional analysis or design, or for teaching students in the classroom; or ISM and IDM (a closely related, generalized 'integrated design method') could play valuable roles in a 'wide spiral' curriculum designed for the coordinated teaching of thinking skills, including creativity and critical thinking, across a wide range of subjects.

How Scientists Use Critical-Thinking Skills: Isolating Both Total RNA and Protein Using the Same Small Organ

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porta, Angela R.; Dhawan, Puneet

2006-01-01

Undergraduate biology programs are currently undergoing reform to involve students in biomedical research. Engaging students in more active, hands-on experiments allows students to discover scientific principles for themselves, and to develop techniques of critical thinking and problem solving. This models the world of real scientific research,…

A Flipped Classroom Exercise to Teach Undergraduates to Critically Think Using Primary Scientific Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimeri, Anne Marie

2016-01-01

Critically thinking about scientific data to form opinions on controversial issues in environmental health is crucial in undergraduate education in the field. An assignment paired with a "flipped" classroom activity was designed to impart knowledge on how to search the primary literature and extract data that can help formulate a point…

THE VIRTUAL INSTRUMENT: SUPPORT FOR GRID-ENABLED MCELL SIMULATIONS

PubMed Central

Casanova, Henri; Berman, Francine; Bartol, Thomas; Gokcay, Erhan; Sejnowski, Terry; Birnbaum, Adam; Dongarra, Jack; Miller, Michelle; Ellisman, Mark; Faerman, Marcio; Obertelli, Graziano; Wolski, Rich; Pomerantz, Stuart; Stiles, Joel

2010-01-01

Ensembles of widely distributed, heterogeneous resources, or Grids, have emerged as popular platforms for large-scale scientific applications. In this paper we present the Virtual Instrument project, which provides an integrated application execution environment that enables end-users to run and interact with running scientific simulations on Grids. This work is performed in the specific context of MCell, a computational biology application. While MCell provides the basis for running simulations, its capabilities are currently limited in terms of scale, ease-of-use, and interactivity. These limitations preclude usage scenarios that are critical for scientific advances. Our goal is to create a scientific “Virtual Instrument” from MCell by allowing its users to transparently access Grid resources while being able to steer running simulations. In this paper, we motivate the Virtual Instrument project and discuss a number of relevant issues and accomplishments in the area of Grid software development and application scheduling. We then describe our software design and report on the current implementation. We verify and evaluate our design via experiments with MCell on a real-world Grid testbed. PMID:20689618

Evaluating Astronomy Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zirbel, E. L.

2002-12-01

A set of non-traditional astronomy laboratories for non-science majors will be presented along with evaluations of lab technicians (these labs were originally developed at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York). The goal of these labs is twofold: (a) to provide the students with hands-on experiences of scientific methodology and (b) to provoke critical thinking. Because non-science majors are often rather resistant to learning the relevant methodology - and especially to thinking critically - this manual is structured differently. It does not only provide traditional cook-book recipes but also contains several leading questions to make the students realize why they are doing what. The students are encouraged to write full sentences and explain how they reach which conclusions. This poster summarizes the experiences of the laboratory assistants that worked with the instructor and presents how they judge the effectiveness of the laboratories.

Basic Inferences of Scientific Reasoning, Argumentation, and Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Anton E.

2010-01-01

Helping students better understand how scientists reason and argue to draw scientific conclusions has long been viewed as a critical component of scientific literacy, thus remains a central goal of science instruction. However, differences of opinion persist regarding the nature of scientific reasoning, argumentation, and discovery. Accordingly,…

Learning spinal manipulation: A best-evidence synthesis of teaching methods*

PubMed Central

Stainsby, Brynne E.; Clarke, Michelle C.S.; Egonia, Jade R.

2016-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of different reported methods used to teach spinal manipulative therapy to chiropractic students. Methods: For this best-evidence literature synthesis, 5 electronic databases were searched from 1900 to 2015. Eligible studies were critically appraised using the criteria of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Scientifically admissible studies were synthesized following best-evidence synthesis principles. Results: Twenty articles were critically appraised, including 9 randomized clinical trials, 9 cohort studies, and 2 systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Eleven articles were accepted as scientifically admissible. The type of teaching method aids included a Thrust in Motion cervical manikin, instrumented cardiopulmonary reanimation manikin, padded contact with a load cell, instrumented treatment table with force sensor/transducer, and Dynadjust instrument. Conclusions: Several different methods exist in the literature for teaching spinal manipulative therapy techniques; however, future research in this developing area of chiropractic education is proposed. It is suggested that various teaching methods be included in the regular curricula of chiropractic colleges to aid in developing manipulation skills, efficiency, and knowledge of performance. PMID:26998630

The secret lives of experiments: methods reporting in the fMRI literature.

PubMed

Carp, Joshua

2012-10-15

Replication of research findings is critical to the progress of scientific understanding. Accordingly, most scientific journals require authors to report experimental procedures in sufficient detail for independent researchers to replicate their work. To what extent do research reports in the functional neuroimaging literature live up to this standard? The present study evaluated methods reporting and methodological choices across 241 recent fMRI articles. Many studies did not report critical methodological details with regard to experimental design, data acquisition, and analysis. Further, many studies were underpowered to detect any but the largest statistical effects. Finally, data collection and analysis methods were highly flexible across studies, with nearly as many unique analysis pipelines as there were studies in the sample. Because the rate of false positive results is thought to increase with the flexibility of experimental designs, the field of functional neuroimaging may be particularly vulnerable to false positives. In sum, the present study documented significant gaps in methods reporting among fMRI studies. Improved methodological descriptions in research reports would yield significant benefits for the field. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Starting SOLO: A multi-pronged scaffolding approach for developing critical climate literacies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, K.; Goodkin, N.

2016-12-01

As part of Nanyang Technological University's general education requirement, all science and math students must complete a multidisciplinary environmental sustainability course during the spring term. In addition to foundational earth sciences material, the course of 600 students heavily emphasizes the development of multidisciplinary problem solving and communication strategies. Assessments conducted with previous iterations of the course found students had greater facility recalling facts and summarizing the course materials than they did evaluating climate change arguments, critically reasoning through sustainability issues, or thinking scientifically. To address this shortfall, we introduced the use of a rubric for peer review as one would treat acquiring expertise with any scientific tool—provide learners multiple opportunities for use in different contexts while providing interpretable and actionable feedback. In the most recent version of the course, we introduced a common rubric based on Biggs' (2014) SOLO taxonomy. We used the taxonomy to place the components of student learning along continuums signifying increasing levels of complexity. Our particular rubric highlighted five areas of importance when evaluating any written argument: clarity, argument structure, contextualization, use of evidence, and evidence sourcing. More important than the rubric itself was the iterative cycle of rubric use and expert feedback students received. For eight weeks, students used the rubric to evaluate articles on sustainability and were given feedback about how well their evaluations agreed with an "expert panel." As the semester progressed, the level of agreement between the students and the panel improved. Students used the rubric as a base for evaluating their peers' work at the end of the semester. We coded how constructive the comments students gave each other were and analyzed the weekly reading evaluations. Students whose evaluations aligned with the panel during the second half of the semester also provided more constructive feedback to their peers. The relationship did not hold for the first half of the semester—implying learning occurred. Overall, students from the most recent iteration of the course provided more constructive feedback than the previous semester.

A set of vertically integrated inquiry-based practical curricula that develop scientific thinking skills for large cohorts of undergraduate students.

PubMed

Zimbardi, Kirsten; Bugarcic, Andrea; Colthorpe, Kay; Good, Jonathan P; Lluka, Lesley J

2013-12-01

Science graduates require critical thinking skills to deal with the complex problems they will face in their 21st century workplaces. Inquiry-based curricula can provide students with the opportunities to develop such critical thinking skills; however, evidence suggests that an inappropriate level of autonomy provided to underprepared students may not only be daunting to students but also detrimental to their learning. After a major review of the Bachelor of Science, we developed, implemented, and evaluated a series of three vertically integrated courses with inquiry-style laboratory practicals for early-stage undergraduate students in biomedical science. These practical curricula were designed so that students would work with increasing autonomy and ownership of their research projects to develop increasingly advanced scientific thinking and communication skills. Students undertaking the first iteration of these three vertically integrated courses reported learning gains in course content as well as skills in scientific writing, hypothesis construction, experimental design, data analysis, and interpreting results. Students also demonstrated increasing skills in both hypothesis formulation and communication of findings as a result of participating in the inquiry-based curricula and completing the associated practical assessment tasks. Here, we report the specific aspects of the curricula that students reported as having the greatest impact on their learning and the particular elements of hypothesis formulation and communication of findings that were more challenging for students to master. These findings provide important implications for science educators concerned with designing curricula to promote scientific thinking and communication skills alongside content acquisition.

How effective is dog culling in controlling zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis? A critical evaluation of the science, politics and ethics behind this public health policy.

PubMed

Costa, Carlos Henrique Nery

2011-01-01

Zoonotic kala-azar, a lethal disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania is considered out of control in parts of the world, particularly in Brazil, where transmission has spread to cities throughout most of the territory and mortality presents an increasing trend. Although a highly debatable measure, the Brazilian government regularly culls seropositive dogs to control the disease. Since control is failing, critical analysis concerning the actions focused on the canine reservoir was conducted. In a review of the literature, a historical perspective focusing mainly on comparisons between the successful Chinese and Soviet strategies and the Brazilian approach is presented. In addition, analyses of the principal studies regarding the role of dogs as risk factors to humans and of the main intervention studies regarding the efficacy of the dog killing strategy were undertaken. Brazilian political reaction to a recently published systematic review that concluded that the dog culling program lacked efficiency and its effect on public policy were also reviewed. No firm evidence of the risk conferred by the presence of dogs to humans was verified; on the contrary, a lack of scientific support for the policy of killing dogs was confirmed. A bias for distorting scientific data towards maintaining the policy of culling animals was observed. Since there is no evidence that dog culling diminishes visceral leishmaniasis transmission, it should be abandoned as a control measure. Ethical considerations have been raised regarding distorting scientific results and the killing of animals despite minimal or absent scientific evidence.

Using Visualization Science to Evaluate Effective Communication of Climate Indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerst, M.; Kenney, M. A.; Wolfinger, F.; Lloyd, A.

2015-12-01

Indicators are observations or calculations that are used to track social and environmental conditions over time. For a large coupled system such as the economy and environment, the choice of indicators requires a structured process that involves co-production among facilitators, subject-matter experts, decision-makers, and the general public. This co-production is needed in part because such indicators serve a duel role of scientifically tracking change and of communicating to non-scientists important changes and information that may be useful in decision contexts. Because the goal is to communicate and inform decisions it is critical that indicators be understood by non-scientific audiences, which may require different visualization techniques than for scientific audiences. Here we describe a process of rigorously evaluating visual communication efficacy by using a simplified taxonomy of visualization design problems and trade-offs to assess existing and redesigned indicator images. The experimental design is three-part. It involves testing non-scientific audiences' understandability of scientific images found in the literature along with similar information shaped by a partial co-production process that informed the U.S. Global Change Research Program prototype indicators system, released in Spring 2015. These recommendations for physical, natural, and societal indicators of changes and impacts involved input from over 200 subject-matter experts, organized into 13 technical teams. Using results from the first two parts, we then explore visualization design improvements that may increase understandability to non-scientific audiences. We anticipate that this work will highlight important trade-offs in visualization design when moving between audiences that will be of great use to scientists who wish to communicate their results broader audiences.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koning, A.J.; Bersillon, O.; Forrest, R. A.

The status of the Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion file (JEFF) is described. The next version of the library, JEFF-3.1, comprises a significant update of actinide evaluations, evaluations emerging from European nuclear data projects, the activation library JEFF-3/A, the decay data and fission yield library, and fusion-related data files from the EFF project. The revisions were motivated by the availability of new measurements, modelling capabilities, or trends from integral experiments. Various pre-release validation efforts are underway, mainly for criticality and shielding of thermal and fast systems. This JEFF-3.1 library is expected to provide improved performances with respect to previous releasesmore » for a variety of scientific and industrial applications.« less

Evolution of Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MTTs): Insights for Accelerating Translational Innovations

PubMed Central

Calhoun, William J.; Bhavnani, Suresh; Rose, Robert M.; Ameredes, Bill; Brasier, Allan R.

2015-01-01

Abstract There is growing consensus about the factors critical for development and productivity of multidisciplinary teams, but few studies have evaluated their longitudinal changes. We present a longitudinal study of 10 multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs), based on team process and outcome measures, evaluated before and after 3 years of CTSA collaboration. Using a mixed methods approach, an expert panel of five judges (familiar with the progress of the teams) independently rated team performance based on four process and four outcome measures, and achieved a rating consensus. Although all teams made progress in translational domains, other process and outcome measures were highly variable. The trajectory profiles identified four categories of team performance. Objective bibliometric analysis of CTSA‐supported MTTs with positive growth in process scores showed that these teams tended to have enhanced scientific outcomes and published in new scientific domains, indicating the conduct of innovative science. Case exemplars revealed that MTTs that experienced growth in both process and outcome evaluative criteria also experienced greater innovation, defined as publications in different areas of science. Of the eight evaluative criteria, leadership‐related behaviors were the most resistant to the interventions introduced. Well‐managed MTTs demonstrate objective productivity and facilitate innovation. PMID:25801998

Evolution of Multidisciplinary Translational Teams (MTTs): Insights for Accelerating Translational Innovations.

PubMed

Wooten, Kevin C; Calhoun, William J; Bhavnani, Suresh; Rose, Robert M; Ameredes, Bill; Brasier, Allan R

2015-10-01

There is growing consensus about the factors critical for development and productivity of multidisciplinary teams, but few studies have evaluated their longitudinal changes. We present a longitudinal study of 10 multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs), based on team process and outcome measures, evaluated before and after 3 years of CTSA collaboration. Using a mixed methods approach, an expert panel of five judges (familiar with the progress of the teams) independently rated team performance based on four process and four outcome measures, and achieved a rating consensus. Although all teams made progress in translational domains, other process and outcome measures were highly variable. The trajectory profiles identified four categories of team performance. Objective bibliometric analysis of CTSA-supported MTTs with positive growth in process scores showed that these teams tended to have enhanced scientific outcomes and published in new scientific domains, indicating the conduct of innovative science. Case exemplars revealed that MTTs that experienced growth in both process and outcome evaluative criteria also experienced greater innovation, defined as publications in different areas of science. Of the eight evaluative criteria, leadership-related behaviors were the most resistant to the interventions introduced. Well-managed MTTs demonstrate objective productivity and facilitate innovation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A system to evaluate the scientific quality of biological and restoration objectives using National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans as a case study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroeder, R.L.

2006-01-01

It is widely accepted that plans for restoration projects should contain specific, measurable, and science-based objectives to guide restoration efforts. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is in the process of developing Comprehensive Conservation Plans (CCPs) for more than 500 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS). These plans contain objectives for biological and ecosystem restoration efforts on the refuges. Based on USFWS policy, a system was developed to evaluate the scientific quality of such objectives based on three critical factors: (1) Is the objective specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-fixed? (2) What is the extent of the rationale that explains the assumptions, logic, and reasoning for the objective? (3) How well was available science used in the development of the objective? The evaluation system scores each factor on a scale of 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent) according to detailed criteria. The biological and restoration objectives from CCPs published as of September 2004 (60 total) were evaluated. The overall average score for all biological and restoration objectives was 1.73. Average scores for each factor were: Factor 1-1.97; Factor 2-1.86; Factor 3-1.38. The overall scores increased from 1997 to 2004. Future restoration efforts may benefit by using this evaluation system during the process of plan development, to ensure that biological and restoration objectives are of the highest scientific quality possible prior to the implementation of restoration plans, and to allow for improved monitoring and adaptive management.

Exploring the Philosophical Underpinnings of Research: Relating Ontology and Epistemology to the Methodology and Methods of the Scientific, Interpretive, and Critical Research Paradigms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scotland, James

2012-01-01

This paper explores the philosophical underpinnings of three major educational research paradigms: scientific, interpretive, and critical. The aim was to outline and explore the interrelationships between each paradigm's ontology, epistemology, methodology and methods. This paper reveals and then discusses some of the underlying assumptions of…

The Impact of Instructor Intention for Student Learning and Implementaton of Undergraduate Science Education Reform on Student Perception of the Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Erika M.

2013-01-01

The rapid advances in technology and scientific knowledge in modern society increases the need for a workforce with an understanding of technology and critical thinking skills College graduates are entering the working world without the critical thinking skills and ability to apply the scientific knowledge gained during their undergraduate…

Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas.

PubMed

O'Leary, Bethan C; Ban, Natalie C; Fernandez, Miriam; Friedlander, Alan M; García-Borboroglu, Pablo; Golbuu, Yimnang; Guidetti, Paolo; Harris, Jean M; Hawkins, Julie P; Langlois, Tim; McCauley, Douglas J; Pikitch, Ellen K; Richmond, Robert H; Roberts, Callum M

2018-05-01

Designated large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs, 100,000 or more square kilometers) constitute over two-thirds of the approximately 6.6% of the ocean and approximately 14.5% of the exclusive economic zones within marine protected areas. Although LSMPAs have received support among scientists and conservation bodies for wilderness protection, regional ecological connectivity, and improving resilience to climate change, there are also concerns. We identified 10 common criticisms of LSMPAs along three themes: (1) placement, governance, and management; (2) political expediency; and (3) social-ecological value and cost. Through critical evaluation of scientific evidence, we discuss the value, achievements, challenges, and potential of LSMPAs in these arenas. We conclude that although some criticisms are valid and need addressing, none pertain exclusively to LSMPAs, and many involve challenges ubiquitous in management. We argue that LSMPAs are an important component of a diversified management portfolio that tempers potential losses, hedges against uncertainty, and enhances the probability of achieving sustainably managed oceans.

Addressing Criticisms of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas

PubMed Central

Ban, Natalie C; Fernandez, Miriam; Friedlander, Alan M; García-Borboroglu, Pablo; Golbuu, Yimnang; Guidetti, Paolo; Harris, Jean M; Hawkins, Julie P; Langlois, Tim; McCauley, Douglas J; Pikitch, Ellen K; Richmond, Robert H; Roberts, Callum M

2018-01-01

Abstract Designated large-scale marine protected areas (LSMPAs, 100,000 or more square kilometers) constitute over two-thirds of the approximately 6.6% of the ocean and approximately 14.5% of the exclusive economic zones within marine protected areas. Although LSMPAs have received support among scientists and conservation bodies for wilderness protection, regional ecological connectivity, and improving resilience to climate change, there are also concerns. We identified 10 common criticisms of LSMPAs along three themes: (1) placement, governance, and management; (2) political expediency; and (3) social–ecological value and cost. Through critical evaluation of scientific evidence, we discuss the value, achievements, challenges, and potential of LSMPAs in these arenas. We conclude that although some criticisms are valid and need addressing, none pertain exclusively to LSMPAs, and many involve challenges ubiquitous in management. We argue that LSMPAs are an important component of a diversified management portfolio that tempers potential losses, hedges against uncertainty, and enhances the probability of achieving sustainably managed oceans. PMID:29731514

The Construct of Resilience: A Critical Evaluation and Guidelines for Future Work

PubMed Central

Luthar, Suniya S.; Cicchetti, Dante; Becker, Bronwyn

2007-01-01

This paper presents a critical appraisal of resilience, a construct connoting the maintenance of positive adaptation by individuals despite experiences of significant adversity. As empirical research on resilience has burgeoned in recent years, criticisms have been levied at work in this area. These critiques have generally focused on ambiguities in definitions and central terminology; heterogeneity in risks experienced and competence achieved by individuals viewed as resilient; instability of the phenomenon of resilience; and concerns regarding the usefulness of resilience as a theoretical construct. We address each identified criticism in turn, proposing solutions for those we view as legitimate and clarifying misunderstandings surrounding those we believe to be less valid. We conclude that work on resilience possesses substantial potential for augmenting the understanding of processes affecting at-risk individuals. Realization of the potential embodied by this construct, however, will remain constrained without continued scientific attention to some of the serious conceptual and methodological pitfalls that have been noted by skeptics and proponents alike. PMID:10953923

[German general and visceral surgery: positioning within the international scientific community].

PubMed

Welsch, T; Wente, M N; Dralle, H; Neuhaus, P; Schumpelick, V; Siewert, J R; Büchler, M W

2010-04-01

Assessment of scientific performance is critical for selection committees and research funding. The present work evaluated the standing of German surgical research within the international community. A database analysis was performed in December 2009 using the ISI Web of Science. The highest impact factor of surgical journals is currently 8.460 with a median impact of all journals of 1.369. Leading academic surgeons have an h-index of more than 60. German surgeons are within the top five leading researchers in the fields of surgery for esophageal and pancreatic cancer, thyroid, hernia, and liver/kidney transplantation. Among the 50 institutions with most publications on a particular topic, 4-5 German centers are mostly represented. The top positions are in total decisively occupied by leading universities in the USA. On the basis of scientific parameters German surgical research can compete with leading international centers in certain fields, but should aim to increase the overall impact of research by publishing more in journals with above average impact factors.

Intrinsic ethics regarding integrated assessment models for climate management.

PubMed

Schienke, Erich W; Baum, Seth D; Tuana, Nancy; Davis, Kenneth J; Keller, Klaus

2011-09-01

In this essay we develop and argue for the adoption of a more comprehensive model of research ethics than is included within current conceptions of responsible conduct of research (RCR). We argue that our model, which we label the ethical dimensions of scientific research (EDSR), is a more comprehensive approach to encouraging ethically responsible scientific research compared to the currently typically adopted approach in RCR training. This essay focuses on developing a pedagogical approach that enables scientists to better understand and appreciate one important component of this model, what we call intrinsic ethics. Intrinsic ethical issues arise when values and ethical assumptions are embedded within scientific findings and analytical methods. Through a close examination of a case study and its application in teaching, namely, evaluation of climate change integrated assessment models, this paper develops a method and case for including intrinsic ethics within research ethics training to provide scientists with a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the critical role of values and ethical choices in the production of research outcomes.

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA announced the availability of the external review draft of the Integrated Science Assessment for Sulfur Oxides– Health Criteria for public comment and independent peer review in a November 24, 2015 Federal Register Notice. This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of sulfur oxides. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide. The Integrated Plan for Review of the Primary NAAQS for SOx U.S. 2: EPA (2007) identifies key policy-relevant questions that provide a framework for this review of the scientific evidence. These questions frame the entire review of the NAAQS, and thus are informed by both science and policy considerations. The ISA organizes and presents the scientific evidence such that, when considered along with findings from risk analyses and policy considerations, will help the EPA address these questions in completing the NAAQS review.

Towards mainstreaming of biodiversity data publishing: recommendations of the GBIF Data Publishing Framework Task Group

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Data are the evidentiary basis for scientific hypotheses, analyses and publication, for policy formation and for decision-making. They are essential to the evaluation and testing of results by peer scientists both present and future. There is broad consensus in the scientific and conservation communities that data should be freely, openly available in a sustained, persistent and secure way, and thus standards for 'free' and 'open' access to data have become well developed in recent years. The question of effective access to data remains highly problematic. Discussion Specifically with respect to scientific publishing, the ability to critically evaluate a published scientific hypothesis or scientific report is contingent on the examination, analysis, evaluation - and if feasible - on the re-generation of data on which conclusions are based. It is not coincidental that in the recent 'climategate' controversies, the quality and integrity of data and their analytical treatment were central to the debate. There is recent evidence that even when scientific data are requested for evaluation they may not be available. The history of dissemination of scientific results has been marked by paradigm shifts driven by the emergence of new technologies. In recent decades, the advance of computer-based technology linked to global communications networks has created the potential for broader and more consistent dissemination of scientific information and data. Yet, in this digital era, scientists and conservationists, organizations and institutions have often been slow to make data available. Community studies suggest that the withholding of data can be attributed to a lack of awareness, to a lack of technical capacity, to concerns that data should be withheld for reasons of perceived personal or organizational self interest, or to lack of adequate mechanisms for attribution. Conclusions There is a clear need for institutionalization of a 'data publishing framework' that can address sociocultural, technical-infrastructural, policy, political and legal constraints, as well as addressing issues of sustainability and financial support. To address these aspects of a data publishing framework - a systematic, standard approach to the formal definition and public disclosure of data - in the context of biodiversity data, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, the single inter-governmental body most clearly mandated to undertake such an effort) convened a Data Publishing Framework Task Group. We conceive this data publishing framework as an environment conducive to ensure free and open access to world's biodiversity data. Here, we present the recommendations of that Task Group, which are intended to encourage free and open access to the worlds' biodiversity data. PMID:22373150

Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging Performance in a High-Fidelity Lunar Terrain Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chuang, Jason

2015-01-01

The prime objective of this project is to evaluate Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) systems and compare their performance for hazard avoidance when tested at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC's) lunar high-fidelity terrain field (see fig. 1). Hazard avoidance is the ability to avoid boulders, holes, or slopes that would jeopardize a safe landing and the deployment of scientific payloads. This capability is critical for any sample return mission intending to land in challenging terrain. Since challenging terrain is frequently where the most scientifically attractive targets are, hazard avoidance will be among the highest priorities for future robotic exploration missions. The maturation of hazard avoidance sensing addressed in this project directly supports the MSFC Tier I priority of sample return.

A Critical Reading of Ecocentrism and Its Meta-Scientific Use of Ecology: Instrumental versus Emancipatory Approaches in Environmental Education and Ecology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hovardas, Tasos

2013-01-01

The aim of the paper is to make a critical reading of ecocentrism and its meta-scientific use of ecology. First, basic assumptions of ecocentrism will be examined, which involve nature's intrinsic value, postmodern and modern positions in ecocentrism, and the subject-object dichotomy under the lenses of ecocentrism. Then, we will discuss…

Effects of School-Based Educational Interventions for Enhancing Adolescents Abilities in Critical Appraisal of Health Claims: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Nordheim, Lena V; Gundersen, Malene W; Espehaug, Birgitte; Guttersrud, Øystein; Flottorp, Signe

2016-01-01

Adolescents are frequent media users who access health claims from various sources. The plethora of conflicting, pseudo-scientific, and often misleading health claims in popular media makes critical appraisal of health claims an essential ability. Schools play an important role in educating youth to critically appraise health claims. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of school-based educational interventions for enhancing adolescents' abilities in critically appraising health claims. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, AMED, Cinahl, Teachers Reference Centre, LISTA, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, The Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and sources of grey literature. Studies that evaluated school-based educational interventions to improve adolescents' critical appraisal ability for health claims through advancing the students' knowledge about science were included. Eligible study designs were randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, and interrupted time series. Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias in included studies. Due to heterogeneity in interventions and inadequate reporting of results, we performed a descriptive synthesis of studies. We used GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) to assess the certainty of the evidence. Eight studies were included: two compared different teaching modalities, while the others compared educational interventions to instruction as usual. Studies mostly reported positive short-term effects on critical appraisal-related knowledge and skills in favour of the educational interventions. However, the certainty of the evidence for all comparisons and outcomes was very low. Educational interventions in schools may have beneficial short-term effects on knowledge and skills relevant to the critical appraisal of health claims. The small number of studies, their heterogeneity, and the predominantly high risk of bias inhibit any firm conclusions about their effects. None of the studies evaluated any long-term effects of interventions. Future intervention studies should adhere to high methodological standards, target a wider variety of school-based settings, and include a process evaluation. PROSPERO no. CRD42015017936.

Effects of School-Based Educational Interventions for Enhancing Adolescents Abilities in Critical Appraisal of Health Claims: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Espehaug, Birgitte; Guttersrud, Øystein; Flottorp, Signe

2016-01-01

Background and Objective Adolescents are frequent media users who access health claims from various sources. The plethora of conflicting, pseudo-scientific, and often misleading health claims in popular media makes critical appraisal of health claims an essential ability. Schools play an important role in educating youth to critically appraise health claims. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of school-based educational interventions for enhancing adolescents’ abilities in critically appraising health claims. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, AMED, Cinahl, Teachers Reference Centre, LISTA, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, The Cochrane Library, Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and sources of grey literature. Studies that evaluated school-based educational interventions to improve adolescents’ critical appraisal ability for health claims through advancing the students’ knowledge about science were included. Eligible study designs were randomised and non-randomised controlled trials, and interrupted time series. Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias in included studies. Due to heterogeneity in interventions and inadequate reporting of results, we performed a descriptive synthesis of studies. We used GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) to assess the certainty of the evidence. Results Eight studies were included: two compared different teaching modalities, while the others compared educational interventions to instruction as usual. Studies mostly reported positive short-term effects on critical appraisal-related knowledge and skills in favour of the educational interventions. However, the certainty of the evidence for all comparisons and outcomes was very low. Conclusion Educational interventions in schools may have beneficial short-term effects on knowledge and skills relevant to the critical appraisal of health claims. The small number of studies, their heterogeneity, and the predominantly high risk of bias inhibit any firm conclusions about their effects. None of the studies evaluated any long-term effects of interventions. Future intervention studies should adhere to high methodological standards, target a wider variety of school-based settings, and include a process evaluation. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO no. CRD42015017936. PMID:27557129

Evidence-based Medicine--How to Teach Critical Scientific Thinking to Medical Undergraduates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pitkala, K.; Mantyranta, T.; Strandberg, T. E.; Makela, M.; Vanhanen, H.; Varonen, H.

2000-01-01

Discusses an evidence-based course which activates students' critical thinking, enhances social learning and group processes, and promotes attitudes towards independent information retrieval and critical appraisal. (Author/CCM)

The critical steps for successful research: The research proposal and scientific writing: (A report on the pre-conference workshop held in conjunction with the 64(th) annual conference of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress-2012).

PubMed

Balakumar, Pitchai; Inamdar, Mohammed Naseeruddin; Jagadeesh, Gowraganahalli

2013-04-01

An interactive workshop on 'The Critical Steps for Successful Research: The Research Proposal and Scientific Writing' was conducted in conjunction with the 64(th) Annual Conference of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress-2012 at Chennai, India. In essence, research is performed to enlighten our understanding of a contemporary issue relevant to the needs of society. To accomplish this, a researcher begins search for a novel topic based on purpose, creativity, critical thinking, and logic. This leads to the fundamental pieces of the research endeavor: Question, objective, hypothesis, experimental tools to test the hypothesis, methodology, and data analysis. When correctly performed, research should produce new knowledge. The four cornerstones of good research are the well-formulated protocol or proposal that is well executed, analyzed, discussed and concluded. This recent workshop educated researchers in the critical steps involved in the development of a scientific idea to its successful execution and eventual publication.

Secondary school physics teachers' conceptions of scientific evidence: A collective case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Joseph A.

Engaging secondary school students in inquiry-oriented tasks that more closely simulate the scholarly activities of scientists has been recommended as a way to improve scientific literacy. Two tasks that are frequently recommended include students' design of original experiments, and students' evaluation of scientific evidence and conclusions. Yet, little is known about teachers' conceptions of experimentation. The principal aim of this study, therefore, was to describe the nature of prospective and practicing physics teachers' conceptions of scientific evidence. More specifically, the following research questions guided this study: (1) What types of issues related to the measurement reliability and experimental validity of scientific evidence do practicing and prospective physics teachers think about when designing experiments? (2) When presented with hypothetical scenarios that describe unsound experimental procedures or poorly supported conclusions (or both), what concerns will prospective and practicing physics teachers raise? And (3) When the participants' responses to parallel research prompts are compared across protocols, what similarities and differences exist? The nature of the teacher-participants' conceptions was described from an analysis of data collected from research prompts such as interviews and hand written artifacts. In these research prompts, the teachers "thought aloud" while designing experiments and critically evaluated student-collected evidence presented in hypothetical classroom scenarios. The data from this study suggested that the three teachers, while contemplating the reliability and validity of scientific evidence, frequently used their conceptions of evidence in conjunction with specific subject matter conceptions. The data also indicated that the relationship between subject matter knowledge and conceptions of evidence was more pronounced for some conceptions of evidence than for others. Suggestions for future research included conducting similar studies in other physics content areas as well as other scientific disciplines. Implications for science teacher education suggested that science and science methods courses encourage the construction of evidence-based arguments, as well as engagement in peer review and critique.

Gaming science: the "Gamification" of scientific thinking.

PubMed

Morris, Bradley J; Croker, Steve; Zimmerman, Corinne; Gill, Devin; Romig, Connie

2013-09-09

Science is critically important for advancing economics, health, and social well-being in the twenty-first century. A scientifically literate workforce is one that is well-suited to meet the challenges of an information economy. However, scientific thinking skills do not routinely develop and must be scaffolded via educational and cultural tools. In this paper we outline a rationale for why we believe that video games have the potential to be exploited for gain in science education. The premise we entertain is that several classes of video games can be viewed as a type of cultural tool that is capable of supporting three key elements of scientific literacy: content knowledge, process skills, and understanding the nature of science. We argue that there are three classes of mechanisms through which video games can support scientific thinking. First, there are a number of motivational scaffolds, such as feedback, rewards, and flow states that engage students relative to traditional cultural learning tools. Second, there are a number of cognitive scaffolds, such as simulations and embedded reasoning skills that compensate for the limitations of the individual cognitive system. Third, fully developed scientific thinking requires metacognition, and video games provide metacognitive scaffolding in the form of constrained learning and identity adoption. We conclude by outlining a series of recommendations for integrating games and game elements in science education and provide suggestions for evaluating their effectiveness.

Gaming science: the “Gamification” of scientific thinking

PubMed Central

Morris, Bradley J.; Croker, Steve; Zimmerman, Corinne; Gill, Devin; Romig, Connie

2013-01-01

Science is critically important for advancing economics, health, and social well-being in the twenty-first century. A scientifically literate workforce is one that is well-suited to meet the challenges of an information economy. However, scientific thinking skills do not routinely develop and must be scaffolded via educational and cultural tools. In this paper we outline a rationale for why we believe that video games have the potential to be exploited for gain in science education. The premise we entertain is that several classes of video games can be viewed as a type of cultural tool that is capable of supporting three key elements of scientific literacy: content knowledge, process skills, and understanding the nature of science. We argue that there are three classes of mechanisms through which video games can support scientific thinking. First, there are a number of motivational scaffolds, such as feedback, rewards, and flow states that engage students relative to traditional cultural learning tools. Second, there are a number of cognitive scaffolds, such as simulations and embedded reasoning skills that compensate for the limitations of the individual cognitive system. Third, fully developed scientific thinking requires metacognition, and video games provide metacognitive scaffolding in the form of constrained learning and identity adoption. We conclude by outlining a series of recommendations for integrating games and game elements in science education and provide suggestions for evaluating their effectiveness. PMID:24058354

Exploring Venus: the Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VEXAG)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ocampo, A.; Atreya, S.; Thompson, T.; Luhmann, J.; Mackwell, S.; Baines, K.; Cutts, J.; Robinson, J.; Saunders, S.

In July 2005 NASA s Planetary Division established the Venus Exploration Analysis Group VEXAG http www lpi usra edu vexag in order to engage the scientific community at large in identifying scientific priorities and strategies for the exploration of Venus VEXAG is a community-based forum open to all interested in the exploration of Venus VEXAG was designed to provide scientific input and technology development plans for planning and prioritizing the study of Venus over the next several decades including a Venus surface sample return VEXAG regularly evaluates NASA s Venus exploration goals scientific objectives investigations and critical measurement requirements including the recommendations in the National Research Council Decadal Survey and NASA s Solar System Exploration Strategic Roadmap VEXAG will take into consideration the latest scientific results from ESA s Venus Express mission and the MESSENGER flybys as well as the results anticipated from JAXA s Venus Climate Orbiter together with science community inputs from venues such as the February 13-16 2006 AGU Chapman Conference to identify the scientific priorities and strategies for future NASA Venus exploration VEXAG is composed of two co-chairs Sushil Atreya University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Janet Luhmann University of California Berkeley VEXAG has formed three focus groups in the areas of 1 Planetary Formation and Evolution Surface and Interior Volcanism Geodynamics etc Focus Group Lead Steve Mackwell LPI 2 Atmospheric Evolution Dynamics Meteorology

Project Manager’s Guide to the Scientific and Technical Information (STINFO) Program and Technical Publications Process

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-01

Iaporta .. y be definitive for the tubjoct proaentod, exploratory in natura, or an evaluation of critical Aubayato• or of technical problema , 4...International Security 9 Social and Natural Science Studies Field 41 Edit: (Type 3) -Entry of an invalid code when Performance Type is "C" or "M" will...analysis SF Foreign area social science research SP Foreign area policy planAing research BF Identifies databases with data on foreign forces or

The 1978 Italian mental health law--a personal evaluation: a review.

PubMed Central

Palermo, G B

1991-01-01

The author discusses the sociopsychiatric consequences of the 1978 Italian mental health law. He also reviews the international scientific ideas that led up to it. The sociopolitical psychiatric views of the late Franco Basaglia, pioneer of the change in the mental health system of the Italian Republic, are described. Statistical reports and critical analyses are reported. Objective data, based on the author's personal experience as a practising psychiatrist in Rome, Italy, from 1969 to 1987, are given. PMID:1999825

Recommendations for clinical biomarker specimen preservation and stability assessments.

PubMed

Dakappagari, Naveen; Zhang, Hui; Stephen, Laurie; Amaravadi, Lakshmi; Khan, Masood U

2017-04-01

With the wide use of biomarkers to enable critical drug-development decisions, there is a growing concern from scientific community on the need for a 'standardized process' for ensuring biomarker specimen stability and hence, a strong desire to share best practices on preserving the integrity of biomarker specimens in clinical trials and the design of studies to evaluate analyte stability. By leveraging representative industry experience, we have attempted to provide an overview of critical aspects of biomarker specimen stability commonly encountered during clinical development, including: planning of clinical sample collection procedures, clinical site training, selection of sample preservation buffers, shipping logistics, fit-for-purpose stability assessments in the analytical laboratory and presentation of case studies covering widely utilized biomarker specimen types.

Teacher Students' Dilemmas When Teaching Science through Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krämer, Philipp; Nessler, Stefan H.; Schlüter, Kirsten

2015-01-01

Background: Inquiry-based science education (IBSE) is suitable to teach scientific contents as well as to foster scientific skills. Similar conclusions are drawn by studies with respect to scientific literacy, motivational aspects, vocabulary knowledge, conceptual understandings, critical thinking, and attitudes toward science. Nevertheless, IBSE…

Elaboration and formalization of current scientific knowledge of risks and preventive measures illustrated by colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Giorgi, R; Gouvernet, J; Dufour, J; Degoulet, P; Laugier, R; Quilichini, F; Fieschi, M

2001-01-01

Present the method used to elaborate and formalize current scientific knowledge to provide physicians with tools available on the Internet, that enable them to evaluate individual patient risk, give personalized preventive recommendations or early screening measures. The approach suggested in this article is in line with medical procedures based on levels of evidence (Evidence-based Medicine). A cyclical process for developing recommendations allows us to quickly incorporate current scientific information. At each phase, the analysis is reevaluated by experts in the field collaborating on the project. The information is formalized through the use of levels of evidence and grades of recommendations. GLIF model is used to implement recommendations for clinical practice guidelines. The most current scientific evidence incorporated in a cyclical process includes several steps: critical analysis according to the Evidence-based Medicine method; identification of predictive factors; setting-up risk levels; identification of prevention measures; elaboration of personalized recommendation. The information technology implementation of the clinical practice guideline enables physicians to quickly obtain personalized information for their patients. Cases of colorectal prevention illustrate our approach. Integration of current scientific knowledge is an important process. The delay between the moment new information arrives and the moment the practitioner applies it, is thus reduced.

Development of a non-tissue adherent neurosurgical patty and an ex vivo testing system to evaluate adherent characteristics.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Manabu; Taniguchi, Mai; Takagaki, Masatoshi; Seike, Nobuhisa; Hashimoto, Naoya; Yoshimine, Toshiki

2015-05-01

Neurosurgical patties are the most frequently used instruments during neurosurgical procedures, and their high performance is required to ensure safe operations. They must offer cushioning, water-absorbing, water-retaining, and non-tissue adherent characteristics. Here, the authors describe a revised neurosurgical patty that is superior in all respects to the conventional patty available in Japan. Patty characteristics were critically and scientifically evaluated using various in vitro assays. Moreover, a novel ex vivo evaluation system focusing on the adherent characteristics of the neurosurgical patty was developed. The proposed assay could provide benchmark data for comparing different neurosurgical patties, offering neurosurgeons objective data on the performance of patties. The newly developed patty was also evaluated in real neurosurgical settings and showed superb performance during various neurosurgical procedures.

Redesigning a General Education Science Course to Promote Critical Thinking.

PubMed

Rowe, Matthew P; Gillespie, B Marcus; Harris, Kevin R; Koether, Steven D; Shannon, Li-Jen Y; Rose, Lori A

2015-01-01

Recent studies question the effectiveness of a traditional university curriculum in helping students improve their critical thinking and scientific literacy. We developed an introductory, general education (gen ed) science course to overcome both deficiencies. The course, titled Foundations of Science, differs from most gen ed science offerings in that it is interdisciplinary; emphasizes the nature of science along with, rather than primarily, the findings of science; incorporates case studies, such as the vaccine-autism controversy; teaches the basics of argumentation and logical fallacies; contrasts science with pseudoscience; and addresses psychological factors that might otherwise lead students to reject scientific ideas they find uncomfortable. Using a pretest versus posttest design, we show that students who completed the experimental course significantly improved their critical-thinking skills and were more willing to engage scientific theories the general public finds controversial (e.g., evolution), while students who completed a traditional gen ed science course did not. Our results demonstrate that a gen ed science course emphasizing the process and application of science rather than just scientific facts can lead to improved critical thinking and scientific literacy. © 2015 M. P. Rowe, B. M. Gillespie, et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Human Health Effects of Biphenyl: Key Findings and Scientific Issues.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Hogan, Karen A; Cai, Christine; Rieth, Susan

2016-06-01

In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated the human health hazards of biphenyl exposure. We review key findings and scientific issues regarding expected human health effects of biphenyl. Scientific literature from 1926 through September 2012 was critically evaluated to identify potential human health hazards associated with biphenyl exposure. Key issues related to the carcinogenicity and noncancer health hazards of biphenyl were examined based on evidence from experimental animal bioassays and mechanistic studies. Systematic consideration of experimental animal studies of oral biphenyl exposure took into account the variety of study designs (e.g., study sizes, exposure levels, and exposure durations) to reconcile differing reported results. The available mechanistic and toxicokinetic evidence supports the hypothesis that male rat urinary bladder tumors arise through urinary bladder calculi formation but is insufficient to hypothesize a mode of action for liver tumors in female mice. Biphenyl and its metabolites may induce genetic damage, but a role for genotoxicity in biphenyl-induced carcinogenicity has not been established. The available health effects data for biphenyl provides suggestive evidence for carcinogenicity in humans, based on increased incidences of male rat urinary bladder tumors at high exposure levels and on female mouse liver tumors. Kidney toxicity is also a potential human health hazard of biphenyl exposure. Li Z, Hogan KA, Cai C, Rieth S. 2016. Human health effects of biphenyl: key findings and scientific issues. Environ Health Perspect 124:703-712; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509730.

The impact of free access to the scientific literature: a review of recent research.

PubMed

Davis, Philip M; Walters, William H

2011-07-01

The paper reviews recent studies that evaluate the impact of free access (open access) on the behavior of scientists as authors, readers, and citers in developed and developing nations. It also examines the extent to which the biomedical literature is used by the general public. The paper is a critical review of the literature, with systematic description of key studies. Researchers report that their access to the scientific literature is generally good and improving. For authors, the access status of a journal is not an important consideration when deciding where to publish. There is clear evidence that free access increases the number of article downloads, although its impact on article citations is not clear. Recent studies indicate that large citation advantages are simply artifacts of the failure to adequately control for confounding variables. The effect of free access on the general public's use of the primary medical literature has not been thoroughly evaluated. Recent studies provide little evidence to support the idea that there is a crisis in access to the scholarly literature. Further research is needed to investigate whether free access is making a difference in non-research contexts and to better understand the dissemination of scientific literature through peer-to-peer networks and other informal mechanisms.

The impact of free access to the scientific literature: a review of recent research

PubMed Central

Walters, William H

2011-01-01

Objectives: The paper reviews recent studies that evaluate the impact of free access (open access) on the behavior of scientists as authors, readers, and citers in developed and developing nations. It also examines the extent to which the biomedical literature is used by the general public. Method: The paper is a critical review of the literature, with systematic description of key studies. Results: Researchers report that their access to the scientific literature is generally good and improving. For authors, the access status of a journal is not an important consideration when deciding where to publish. There is clear evidence that free access increases the number of article downloads, although its impact on article citations is not clear. Recent studies indicate that large citation advantages are simply artifacts of the failure to adequately control for confounding variables. The effect of free access on the general public's use of the primary medical literature has not been thoroughly evaluated. Conclusions: Recent studies provide little evidence to support the idea that there is a crisis in access to the scholarly literature. Further research is needed to investigate whether free access is making a difference in non-research contexts and to better understand the dissemination of scientific literature through peer-to-peer networks and other informal mechanisms. PMID:21753913

MS PHD'S Professional Development Program: A Scientific Renaissance in Cyberspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, J. M.; Williamson, V. A.; Griess, C. A.; Pyrtle, A. J.

2004-12-01

This study is a component of a four-year investigation of MS PHD'S Professional Development Program's virtual community through the lenses of underrepresented minority students in Earth system science and engineering fields. In this presentation, the development, assessment and projected utilization of the ongoing study will be discussed. The overall goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of virtual team building methods and understand how the development of a communal cyberinfrastructure acts as an integral part of the emergence of a Scientific Renaissance. The exemplar, Minorities Striving and Pursuing Higher Degrees of Success in Earth System Science (MS PHD'S), provides professional development experiences to facilitate the advancement of students of color achieving outstanding Earth system careers. Undergraduate and graduate students are supported through access to scientific conferences, mentorship and virtual community building. Framed by critical theory, this ethnographic exploration uses a mixed methods research design to record, observe, and analyze both the processes and products of the website, listserv and synchronous web-based dialogue. First, key findings of the formative evaluation and annual reports of the successfully implemented 2003 MS PHD'S Pilot Project are presented. These findings inform future evaluations of the use of technological resources and illustrate how this public space provides peer support and enriched research opportunities. Quantitative methods such as statistical analysis, academic and professional tracking and evaluative tools for scientific content and competency are complimented by qualitative methods that include observations, heuristic case studies and focus group interviews. The findings of this ongoing investigation will provide insight on how national organizations, higher education practitioners, community-based support systems and underrepresented minorities in the sciences promote diversity by developing successful cyberspace programs and networks. Through the examination of the transformation, expansion and democratization of the Earth system science community, new knowledge will be obtained on how a cyber-community fuses science, diversity and technology to form dialectics between creating and analyzing a Scientific Renaissance.

Workshop on Science and the Human Exploration of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duke, M. B. (Editor)

2001-01-01

The exploration of Mars will be a multi-decadal activity. Currently, a scientific program is underway, sponsored by NASA's Office of Space Science in the United States, in collaboration with international partners France, Italy, and the European Space Agency. Plans exist for the continuation of this robotic program through the first automated return of Martian samples in 2014. Mars is also a prime long-term objective for human exploration, and within NASA, efforts are being made to provide the best integration of the robotic program and future human exploration missions. From the perspective of human exploration missions, it is important to understand the scientific objectives of human missions, in order to design the appropriate systems, tools, and operational capabilities to maximize science on those missions. In addition, data from the robotic missions can provide critical environmental data - surface morphology, materials composition, evaluations of potential toxicity of surface materials, radiation, electrical and other physical properties of the Martian environment, and assessments of the probability that humans would encounter Martian life forms. Understanding of the data needs can lead to the definition of experiments that can be done in the near-term that will make the design of human missions more effective. This workshop was convened to begin a dialog between the scientific community that is central to the robotic exploration mission program and a set of experts in systems and technologies that are critical to human exploration missions. The charge to the workshop was to develop an understanding of the types of scientific exploration that would be best suited to the human exploration missions and the capabilities and limitations of human explorers in undertaking science on those missions.

Misreading Science in the Twentieth Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budd, John M.

2001-01-01

Considers textual aspects of scientific communication and problems for reception presented by the complex dynamics of communicating scientific work. Discusses scientific work based on fraud or misconduct and disputes about the nature of science, and applies reception theory and reader-response criticism to understand variations in readings of the…

Scientific Writing: A Blended Instructional Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, MaryAnn; Olson, Valerie

2010-01-01

Scientific writing is composed of a unique skill set and corresponding instructional strategies are critical to foster learning. In an age of technology, the blended instructional model provides the instrumental format for student mastery of the scientific writing competencies. In addition, the course management program affords opportunities for…

Using critical evaluation to reappraise plausibility judgments: A critical cognitive component of conceptual change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lombardi, D.

2011-12-01

Plausibility judgments-although well represented in conceptual change theories (see, for example, Chi, 2005; diSessa, 1993; Dole & Sinatra, 1998; Posner et al., 1982)-have received little empirical attention until our recent work investigating teachers' and students' understanding of and perceptions about human-induced climate change (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2010, 2011). In our first study with undergraduate students, we found that greater plausibility perceptions of human-induced climate accounted for significantly greater understanding of weather and climate distinctions after instruction, even after accounting for students' prior knowledge (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2010). In a follow-up study with inservice science and preservice elementary teachers, we showed that anger about the topic of climate change and teaching about climate change was significantly related to implausible perceptions about human-induced climate change (Lombardi & Sinatra, 2011). Results from our recent studies helped to inform our development of a model of the role of plausibility judgments in conceptual change situations. The model applies to situations involving cognitive dissonance, where background knowledge conflicts with an incoming message. In such situations, we define plausibility as a judgment on the relative potential truthfulness of incoming information compared to one's existing mental representations (Rescher, 1976). Students may not consciously think when making plausibility judgments, expending only minimal mental effort in what is referred to as an automatic cognitive process (Stanovich, 2009). However, well-designed instruction could facilitate students' reappraisal of plausibility judgments in more effortful and conscious cognitive processing. Critical evaluation specifically may be one effective method to promote plausibility reappraisal in a classroom setting (Lombardi & Sinatra, in progress). In science education, critical evaluation involves the analysis of how evidentiary data support a hypothesis and its alternatives. The presentation will focus on how instruction promoting critical evaluation can encourage individuals to reappraise their plausibility judgments and initiate knowledge reconstruction. In a recent pilot study, teachers experienced an instructional scaffold promoting critical evaluation of two competing climate change theories (i.e., human-induced and increasing solar irradiance) and significantly changed both their plausibility judgments and perceptions of correctness toward the scientifically-accepted model of human-induced climate change. A comparison group of teachers who did not experience the critical evaluation activity showed no significant change. The implications of these studies for future research and instruction will be discussed in the presentation, including effective ways to increase students' and teachers' ability to be critically evaluative and reappraise their plausibility judgments. With controversial science issues, such as climate change, such abilities may be necessary to facilitate conceptual change.

Academic research groups: evaluation of their quality and quality of their evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berche, Bertrand; Holovatch, Yuri; Kenna, Ralph; Mryglod, Olesya

2016-02-01

In recent years, evaluation of the quality of academic research has become an increasingly important and influential business. It determines, often to a large extent, the amount of research funding flowing into universities and similar institutes from governmental agencies and it impacts upon academic careers. Policy makers are becoming increasingly reliant upon, and influenced by, the outcomes of such evaluations. In response, university managers are increasingly attracted to simple metrics as guides to the dynamics of the positions of their various institutions in league tables. However, these league tables are invariably drawn up by inexpert bodies such as newspapers and magazines, using arbitrary measures and criteria. Terms such as “critical mass” and “h-index” are bandied about without understanding of what they actually mean. Rather than accepting the rise and fall of universities, departments and individuals on a turbulent sea of arbitrary measures, we suggest it is incumbent upon the scientific community itself to clarify their nature. Here we report on recent attempts to do that by properly defining critical mass and showing how group size influences research quality. We also examine currently predominant metrics and show that these fail as reliable indicators of group research quality.

Scientific Research: Commodities or Commons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermeir, Koen

2013-01-01

Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it, scientific fraud is rampant and the age-old trust in science is shattered. This cynical view, although gaining in prominence, does not explain very well the surprising motivation and integrity that is still central to the scientific life. Although…

What Is Scientific Thinking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tweney, Ryan D.

Drawing parallels with critical thinking and creative thinking, this document describes some ways that scientific thinking is utilized. Cognitive approaches to scientific thinking are discussed, and it is argued that all science involves an attempt to construct a testable mental model of some aspect of reality. The role of mental models is…

The Benefits of Scientific Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenyon, Lisa; Schwarz, Christina; Hug, Barbara

2008-01-01

When students are engaged in scientific modeling, they are able to notice patterns and develop and revise representations that become useful models to predict and explain--making their own scientific knowledge stronger, helping them to think critically, and helping them know more about the nature of science. To illustrate, this article describes a…

Objects of Desire: Power and Passion in Collaborative Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nardi, Bonnie A.

2005-01-01

This article uses activity theory to analyze the conduct of collaborative scientific research, showing how the conceptualization of object is critical to understanding key aspects of scientific collaboration. I argue that the passions and desires behind objects of scientific research are missing in most accounts. I suggest refinements to the…

[A critical perspective on the global research activity in the field of bladder cancer].

PubMed

Schöffel, N; Domnitz, F; Brüggmann, D; Klingelhöfer, D; Bendels, M H K; Groneberg, D A

2016-11-01

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common forms of cancer world-wide. This underestimated disease can cause severe morbidity and mortality in individuals. Increasing awareness can be depicted by the increasing numbers of publications since the 1990s. Hence, it is challenging for a scientist to obtain an overview of the topic. To quantify the global research activity in this field, a scientometric investigation was conducted. Using the database Web of Science, the bibliometric data of publications on the topic of BC was acquired for the period 1900-2007. According to the NewQIS protocol, different visualization techniques and scientometric methods were applied. A total of 19,651 publications were evaluated. The USA takes a leading position in terms of the overall number of publications, institutions, and collaborations. International collaboration on BC has changed considerably in terms of quantity during the past 20 years. The largest number of articles and the highest number of citations regarding BC are found in the Journal of Urology. Thus, it is considered the most prolific journal. Furthermore, the productivity (i. e., publication numbers) of authors and scientific impact (i. e., citation rates) vary greatly. The field of BC continues to progress, whereby the influence of international co-operation on scientific progress is of increasing importance. New evaluation factors/tools have to be established for a more reliable evaluation of scientific work.

Commentary: Teaching creativity and innovative thinking in medicine and the health sciences.

PubMed

Ness, Roberta B

2011-10-01

The National Academies of Science recently criticized the state of scientific innovation and competitiveness in the United States. Evaluations of already-established creativity training programs--examining a broad array of students, from school age to adult and with a wide range of abilities--have shown that such courses improve thinking skills, attitudes, and performance. Although academic medicine provides informal training in creativity and innovation, it has yet to incorporate formal instruction on these topics into medical education. A number of existing, thoughtfully constructed and evaluated creativity programs in other fields provide a pedagogical basis for developing creativity training programs for the health sciences. The content of creativity training programs typically includes instruction and application in (1) divergent thinking, (2) problem solving, and (3) creative production. Instructional formats that have been shown to elicit the best outcomes are an admixture of lectures, discussion, and guided practice. A pilot program to teach innovative thinking to health science students at the University of Texas includes instruction in recognizing and finding alternatives to frames or habitual cognitive patterns, in addition to the constructs already mentioned. As innovation is the engine of scientific progress, the author, founder of Innovative Thinking, the creativity training pilot program at the University of Texas, argues in this commentary that academic health centers should implement and evaluate new methods for enhancing science students' innovative thinking to keep the United States as a worldwide leader in scientific discovery.

A gentle ethical defence of homeopathy.

PubMed

Levy, David; Gadd, Ben; Kerridge, Ian; Komesaroff, Paul A

2015-06-01

Recent discourses about the legitimacy of homeopathy have focused on its scientific plausibility, mechanism of action, and evidence base. These, frequently, conclude not only that homeopathy is scientifically baseless, but that it is "unethical." They have also diminished patients' perspectives, values, and preferences. We contend that these critics confuse epistemic questions with questions of ethics, misconstrue the moral status of homeopaths, and have an impoverished idea of ethics-one that fails to account either for the moral worth of care and of relationships or for the perspectives, values, and preferences of patients. Utilitarian critics, in particular, endeavour to present an objective evaluation-a type of moral calculus-quantifying the utilities and disutilities of homeopathy as a justification for the exclusion of homeopathy from research and health care. But these critiques are built upon a narrow formulation of evidence and care and a diminished episteme that excludes the values and preferences of researchers, homeopaths, and patients engaged in the practice of homeopathy. We suggest that homeopathy is ethical as it fulfils the needs and expectations of many patients; may be practiced safely and prudentially; values care and the virtues of the therapeutic relationship; and provides important benefits for patients.

Scientific Misconduct.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodstein, David

2002-01-01

Explores scientific fraud, asserting that while few scientists actually falsify results, the field has become so competitive that many are misbehaving in other ways; an example would be unreasonable criticism by anonymous peer reviewers. (EV)

The Nature of Pre-service Science Teachers' Argumentation in Inquiry-oriented Laboratory Context

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozdem, Yasemin; Ertepinar, Hamide; Cakiroglu, Jale; Erduran, Sibel

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the kinds of argumentation schemes generated by pre-service elementary science teachers (PSTs) as they perform inquiry-oriented laboratory tasks, and to explore how argumentation schemes vary by task as well as by experimentation and discussion sessions. The model of argumentative and scientific inquiry was used as a design framework in the present study. According to the model, the inquiry of scientific topics was employed by groups of participants through experimentation and critical discussion sessions. The participants of the study were 35 PSTs, who teach middle school science to sixth through eighth grade students after graduation. The data were collected through video- and audio-recordings of the discussions made by PSTs in six inquiry-oriented laboratory sessions. For the analysis of data, pre-determined argumentation schemes by Walton were employed. The results illustrated that PSTs applied varied premises rather than only observations or reliable sources to ground their claims or to argue for a case or an action. It is also worthy of notice that the construction and evaluation of scientific knowledge claims resulted in different numbers and kinds of arguments. Results of this study suggest that designing inquiry-oriented laboratory environments, which are enriched with critical discussion, provides discourse opportunities that can support argumentation. Moreover, PSTs can be encouraged to support and promote argumentation in their future science classrooms if they engage in argumentation integrated instructional strategies.

Framework for assessing causality of air pollution-related health effects for reviews of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

PubMed

Owens, Elizabeth Oesterling; Patel, Molini M; Kirrane, Ellen; Long, Thomas C; Brown, James; Cote, Ila; Ross, Mary A; Dutton, Steven J

2017-08-01

To inform regulatory decisions on the risk due to exposure to ambient air pollution, consistent and transparent communication of the scientific evidence is essential. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) develops the Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), which contains evaluations of the policy-relevant science on the effects of criteria air pollutants and conveys critical science judgments to inform decisions on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. This article discusses the approach and causal framework used in the ISAs to evaluate and integrate various lines of scientific evidence and draw conclusions about the causal nature of air pollution-induced health effects. The framework has been applied to diverse pollutants and cancer and noncancer effects. To demonstrate its flexibility, we provide examples of causality judgments on relationships between health effects and pollutant exposures, drawing from recent ISAs for ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen. U.S. EPA's causal framework has increased transparency by establishing a structured process for evaluating and integrating various lines of evidence and uniform approach for determining causality. The framework brings consistency and specificity to the conclusions in the ISA, and the flexibility of the framework makes it relevant for evaluations of evidence across media and health effects. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Teaching clinical research methodology to the academic medical community: a fifteen-year retrospective of a comprehensive curriculum.

PubMed

Supino, Phyllis G; Borer, Jeffrey S

2007-05-01

Due to inadequate preparation, many medical professionals are unable to critically evaluate published research articles or properly design, execute and present their own research. To increase exposure among physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals to diverse methodological issues involved in performing research. A comprehensive course on research methodology was newly designed for physicians and other members of an academic medical community, and has been successfully implemented beginning 1991. The role of the study hypothesis is highlighted; interactive pedagogical techniques are employed to promote audience engagement. Participants complete an annual evaluation to assess course quality and perceived outcomes. Outcomes also are assessed qualitatively by faculty. More than 500 physicians/other professionals have participated. Ratings have been consistently high. Topics deemed most valuable are investigational planning, hypothesis construction and study designs. An enhancement of capacity to define hypotheses and apply methodological concepts in the criticism of scientific papers and development of protocols/manuscripts has been observed. Participants and faculty believe the course improves critical appraisal skills and ability to conduct research. Our experience shows it is feasible to accomplish these objectives, with a high level of satisfaction, through a didactic program targeted to the general academic community.

A summary of the 2006 critical review - health effects of fine particulate air pollution: lines that connect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Arden Pope; Douglas Dockery

2006-06-15

In spite of continued gaps in knowledge, several important lines of research explored in the 2006 Critical Review in the Journal of the Air Waste Management Association, June 2006, pp 709-742 have substantially helped elucidate our understanding about human health effects of particulate air pollution. A comprehensive evaluation of the literature provides a compelling evidence that continued reductions in exposure to combustion-related fine particulate air pollution as indicated by PM 2.5 will result in improvements in cardiopulmonary health. Although research on the health effects of PM has been motivated largely by environmental health policy, in this review the progress ofmore » the science has been of more interest than debates over legally mandated standards. There has been substantial progress in the evaluation of the health effects of PM at different time-scales of exposure and in the exploration of the shape of the concentration-response function. The emerging evidence of PM-related cardiovascular health effects and the growing knowledge regarding inter connected general pahtophysiological pathways that link PM exposure with cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality are fascinating results. These results have important scientific, medical, and public health implications that are much broader than debates over air quality Standard. Unsolved scientific issues dealing with the health effects of PM air pollution need not serve as sources of division, but as opportunities for cooperation and increased collaboration between epidemiology, toxicology, exposure assessment, and related disciplines. 40 refs., 4 figs.« less

Shaping scientific attitude of biology education students through research-based teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firdaus, Darmadi

2017-08-01

Scientific attitude is need of today's society for peaceful and meaningful living of every person in a multicultural world. A case study was conducted at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Riau, Pekanbaru in order to describe the scientific attitude that shaped by research-based teaching (RBT). Eighteen students of English for Biology bilingual program were selected from 88 regular students as a subject of the study. RBT designed consists of 9 steps: 1) field observations, 2) developing research proposals, 3) research proposal seminar, 4) field data collecting, 5) data analyzing & ilustrating, 6) writing research papers, 7) preparing power point slides, 8) creating a scientific poster, 9) seminar & poster session. Data were collected by using check list observation instuments during 14 weeks (course sessions), then analyzed by using descriptive-quantitative method. The results showed that RBT were able to shape critical-mindedness, suspended judgement, respect for evidence, honesty, objectivity, and questioning attitude as well as tolerance of uncertainty. These attitudes which shaped were varies according to every steps of learning activities. It's seems that the preparation of scientific posters and research seminar quite good in shaping the critical-mindedness, suspended judgment, respect for evidence, honesty, objectivity, and questioning attitude, as well as tolerance of uncertainty. In conclusion, the application of research-based teaching through the English for Biology courses could shape the students scientific attitudes. However, the consistency of the appearance of a scientific attitude in every stage of Biology-based RBT learning process need more intensive and critical assessment.

FDA perspective on objective performance goals and clinical trial design for evaluating catheter-based treatment of critical limb ischemia.

PubMed

Kumar, Allison; Brooks, Steven S; Cavanaugh, Kenneth; Zuckerman, Bram

2009-12-01

The article by Conte et al.(1) on behalf of the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) in this issue of the Journal of Vascular Surgery provides guidelines for improving the consistency and interpretability of clinical trials intended to evaluate treatment options for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). This article identifies a number of key challenges with conducting and comparing CLI trials, including the wide spectrum of clinical presentations that CLI encompasses, the use of disparate eligibility criteria and endpoint measurements, and logistical and economic considerations that can limit study initiation and completion. The authors propose definitions for a number of performance goals derived from historical surgical literature as a means of reducing the negative impact of these factors. The current editorial reviews aspects of this proposal from the perspective of the authors in terms of their understanding of the statutory obligations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the marketing of cardiovascular devices based on valid scientific evidence.

The Two Nursing Disciplinary Scientific Revolutions: Florence Nightingale and Martha E. Rogers.

PubMed

Koffi, Kan; Fawcett, Jacqueline

2016-07-01

The purpose of this essay is to share Kan Koffi's ideas about scientific revolutions in the discipline of nursing. Koffi has proposed that the works of Florence Nightingale and Martha E. Rogers represent two scientific revolutions in nursing as a learned discipline. The outcome of these two scientific revolutions is a catalyst for critical disciplinary and paradigmatic debate about the universal conceptualization of nursing's distinctive professional and scientific knowledge. © The Author(s) 2016.

A meta-analysis of the effects of non-traditional teaching methods on the critical thinking abilities of nursing students.

PubMed

Lee, JuHee; Lee, Yoonju; Gong, SaeLom; Bae, Juyeon; Choi, Moonki

2016-09-15

Scientific framework is important in designing curricula and evaluating students in the field of education and clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of non-traditional educational methods on critical thinking skills. A systematic review approach was applied. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2001 to December 2014 were searched using electronic databases and major education journals. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2. Reviewing the included studies, the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) and California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) were used to assess the effectiveness of critical thinking in the meta-analysis. The eight CCTDI datasets showed that non- traditional teaching methods (i.e., no lectures) were more effective compared to control groups (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.42, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.57, p < .00001). And six CCTST datasets showed the teaching and learning methods in these studies were also had significantly more effects when compared to the control groups (SMD: 0.29, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.48, p = 0.003). This research showed that new teaching and learning methods designed to improve critical thinking were generally effective at enhancing critical thinking dispositions.

Critical Chemistry Education in a Private, Suburban High School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashby, Patrick; Mensah, Felicia Moore

2018-01-01

This critical ethnography documents how a group of 25 students and their teacher/researcher in a suburban, private school setting, the vast majority from the dominant cultural background, engaged with and enacted a critical chemistry education together. Critical chemistry education contextualizes chemistry in socially relevant issues and problematizes participants' conceptual frameworks for understanding the intersections between chemistry and our capitalist society by identifying the shortcomings of traditional scientific language to sufficiently interrogate privilege and oppression. Qualitative data from teacher/researcher field notes and journal, classroom video transcripts, questionnaires, focus group interviews, and student artifacts document that while it is difficult for the teacher/researcher and the students of this setting to reflect upon their own positions of privilege, together they interpreted and made meaning of their experience by (1) developing the ability to critically analyze the products of science for the potential of oppression, (2) developing an understanding of inequity in science, and (3) evaluating and respecting diverse knowledge bases. Based on the findings, we suggest students should be encouraged to problematize socially situated science issues related to settings close to their own communities, students should participate in structured and purposeful journaling to improve their metacognition and critical reflexivity, and critical pedagogues must be explicit with students in their Marxist-based interpretation of the global capitalist super structure.

[Review from the scientific paper about the main respiratory diseases in metallurgical workers].

PubMed

Apostoli, P; Catalani, S; Cortesi, I

2012-01-01

The review of main scientific investigations about the work related diseases in metallurgy shows that the most studied pathologies regards lung cancer and pneumoconiosis, other cancers and cardiovascular diseases. These evidences are not univocal and have been and are critically evaluated due to the complexity and articulated structure of metals production which makes it very difficult to compare the risks and diseases among the different metallurgical activities and, in the same activity, among the different job tasks. In addition, due to the technological and organizational evolution investigations, appear to be necessary to better define the specific hazards (for example metal species, PAH and PoPs mixtures) and to put into a correct relation these and pathologies diagnosed by health surveillance procedures or epidemiological surveys, surely different from those of past decades.

Catalytic creativity. The case of Linus Pauling.

PubMed

Nakamura, J; Csikszentmihalyi, M

2001-04-01

This article illustrates how creativity is constituted by forces beyond the innovating individual, drawing examples from the career of the eminent chemist Linus Pauling. From a systems perspective, a scientific theory or other product is creative only if the innovation gains the acceptance of a field of experts and so transforms the culture. In addition to this crucial selective function vis-à-vis the completed work, the social field can play a catalytic role, fostering productive interactions between person and domain throughout a career. Pauling's case yields examples of how variously the social field contributes to creativity, shaping the individual's standards of judgment and providing opportunities, incentives, and critical evaluation. A formidable set of strengths suited Pauling for his scientific achievements, but examination of his career qualifies the notion of a lone genius whose brilliance carries the day.

Welcoming All in the Field, Into the Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNutt, M. K.; Starkweather, S.; Myles, L.; Marshall, A. M.; Holmes, R. M.; Williams, B. M.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; McNutt, M. K.

2017-12-01

The geosciences, like many other scientific disciplines, have struggled to diversify the workforce in the face of frightening demographic trends demonstrating that the needs for skilled researchers will not be met by continuing to attract predominantly Caucasians or by retaining predominantly Caucasian males. A geoscience workforce that fails to represent the racial and gender mix of the population at large runs a greater risk of perpetuating the misperception that science is only for the specially anointed, that the results of research are not relevant to the lives of ordinary people, and that scientific problems very relevant to those citizens are not prioritized. Given how much is at stake, it is critical that we evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to diversity the workforce and invest in programs proven to work. Special care should be taken in determining criteria for success.

Field Performance of ISFET based Deep Ocean pH Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branham, C. W.; Murphy, D. J.

2017-12-01

Historically, ocean pH time series data was acquired from infrequent shipboard grab samples and measured using labor intensive spectrophotometry methods. However, with the introduction of robust and stable ISFET pH sensors for use in ocean applications a paradigm shift in the methods used to acquire long-term pH time series data has occurred. Sea-Bird Scientific played a critical role in the adoption this new technology by commercializing the SeaFET pH sensor and float pH Sensor developed by the MBARI chemical sensor group. Sea-Bird Scientific continues to advance this technology through a concerted effort to improve pH sensor accuracy and reliability by characterizing their performance in the laboratory and field. This presentation will focus on calibration of the ISFET pH sensor, evaluate its analytical performance, and validate performance using recent field data.

The assessment of expert testimony relevance and admissibility in medical malpractice cases in the Czech Republic. Can American judicial practice help us?

PubMed

Zakharov, Sergey

2011-03-01

The relevance and admissibility of expert medical testimony in relation to medical malpractice suits requires a more successful development of formal criteria and a more intentional compliance with efficient judicial procedures. The American judicial system provides an excellent model for implementation of a critical approach to knowledge collection, the evaluation of the validity of scientifically sound information, and the examination of expert's testimony on the basis of a sound methodology. An analysis of the assessment and application of reliability yields evidence that assuring standards to improve the quality of expert medical testimony will increase the overall probability of a fair outcome during the judicial process. Applying these beneficial strategies in medical malpractice cases will continue to support further considerations of promoting justice and solving problems through sufficient scientific means.

Unleashing Expert Judgment in the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, P. T.; Mach, K. J.; Mastrandrea, M.; Field, C. B.

2016-12-01

IPCC assessments are critical vehicles for evaluating and synthesizing existing knowledge about climate change, its impacts, and potential options for adaptation and mitigation. In these assessments, rigorous expert judgment is essential for characterizing current scientific understanding including persistent and complex uncertainties related to climate change. Over its history the IPCC has iteratively developed frameworks for evaluating and communicating what is known and what is not known about climate change science. In this presentation, we explore advances and challenges in approaches to evaluating and communicating expert judgment in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Fifth Assessment Report (IPCC AR5). We present an analysis of the frequency of the use of calibrated degree-of-certainty terms in the policymaker summaries from the IPCC's AR5 and Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). We find that revised guidance for IPCC author teams in the AR5 improved the development of balanced judgments on scientific evidence across disciplines. Overall, degree-of-certainty terms are more abundant in the AR5 policymaker summaries compared to those of the AR4, demonstrating an increased commitment to extensively and transparently characterizing expert judgments underpinning report conclusions. This analysis also shows that while working groups still favor different degree-of-certainty scales in the AR5, authors employed a wider array of degree-of-certainty scales to communicate expert judgment supporting report findings compared to the policymaker summaries of the AR4. Finally, our analysis reveals greater inclusion of lower-certainty findings in the AR5 as compared to the AR4, critical for communicating a fuller range of possible climate change impacts and response options. Building on our findings we propose a simpler, more transparent, and more rigorous framework for developing and communicating expert judgments in future climate and environmental assessments.

Students' Attitudes to Information in the Press: Critical Reading of a Newspaper Article With Scientific Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveras, B.; Márquez, C.; Sanmartí, N.

2014-08-01

This research analyses what happens when a critical reading activity based on a press article dealing with an energy-related problem is implemented with two groups of students of 13-14 years old and 16-17 years old in the same school (a total of 117 students). Specifically, the research analyses the students' profiles from the standpoint of their attitudes to the information given in the news story and the use they make of it when writing an argumentative text. It also analyses the difficulties the students have when it comes to applying their knowledge about energy in a real-life context. Lastly, some strategies are suggested for helping students to critically analyse the scientific content of a newspaper article. Three reader profiles were identified (the credulous reader, the ideological reader and the critical reader). No significant differences were found in reading profiles in terms of age or scientific knowledge. The findings show that the activity helped to link science learning in school with facts relating to an actual context, particularly in the case of students with more science knowledge.

The critical steps for successful research: The research proposal and scientific writing: (A report on the pre-conference workshop held in conjunction with the 64th annual conference of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress-2012)

PubMed Central

Balakumar, Pitchai; Inamdar, Mohammed Naseeruddin; Jagadeesh, Gowraganahalli

2013-01-01

An interactive workshop on ‘The Critical Steps for Successful Research: The Research Proposal and Scientific Writing’ was conducted in conjunction with the 64th Annual Conference of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress-2012 at Chennai, India. In essence, research is performed to enlighten our understanding of a contemporary issue relevant to the needs of society. To accomplish this, a researcher begins search for a novel topic based on purpose, creativity, critical thinking, and logic. This leads to the fundamental pieces of the research endeavor: Question, objective, hypothesis, experimental tools to test the hypothesis, methodology, and data analysis. When correctly performed, research should produce new knowledge. The four cornerstones of good research are the well-formulated protocol or proposal that is well executed, analyzed, discussed and concluded. This recent workshop educated researchers in the critical steps involved in the development of a scientific idea to its successful execution and eventual publication. PMID:23761709

Integrating Scientific Argumentation to Improve Undergraduate Writing and Learning in a Global Environmental Change Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koffman, Bess G.; Kreutz,Karl J.; Trenbath, Kim

2017-01-01

We present a strategy for using scientific argumentation in an early undergraduate laboratory course to teach disciplinary writing practices and to promote critical thinking, knowledge transformation, and understanding of the scientific method. The approach combines targeted writing instruction; data analysis and interpretation; formulation of a…

Using Scientific Enquiry to Make Sense of Global Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogg, Max

2010-01-01

In a context where the science underlying global issues such as climate change often loses out to political opinions and distortions, science teachers have a unique and very important role. Science teachers can use global-learning approaches to encourage learners to develop skills in scientific enquiry and critical analysis of scientific issues.…

Preservice Elementary Teachers' Ideas about Scientific Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ricketts, Amy

2014-01-01

With the goal of producing scientifically literate citizens who are able to make informed decisions and reason critically when science intersects with their everyday lives, the National Research Council (NRC) has produced two recent documents that call for a new approach to K-12 science education that is based on scientific practices, crosscutting…

Developing Scientific Thinking Methods and Applications in Islamic Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Sharaf, Adel

2013-01-01

This article traces the early and medieval Islamic scholarship to the development of critical and scientific thinking and how they contributed to the development of an Islamic theory of epistemology and scientific thinking education. The article elucidates how the Qur'an and the Sunna of Prophet Muhammad have also contributed to the…

The Construction of a Reasoned Explanation of a Health Phenomenon: An Analysis of Competencies Mobilized

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faria, Cláudia; Freire, Sofia; Baptista, Mónica; Galvão, Cecília

2014-01-01

Mobilizing scientific knowledge for understanding the natural world and for critically appraise socio-scientific situations and make decisions are key competencies for today's' society. Therefore, it is essential to understand how students at the end of compulsory schooling use scientific knowledge for understanding the surrounding world. The…

Argument to Foster Scientific Literacy: A Review of Argument Interventions in K-12 Science Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavagnetto, Andy R.

2010-01-01

The goal of scientific literacy has led to a steady increase in argument-based interventions in science education contexts. It has been suggested that student participation in argument develops communication skills, metacognitive awareness, critical thinking, an understanding of the culture and practice of science, and scientific literacy.…

Integrating Socio-Scientific Issues to Enhance the Bioethical Decision-Making Skills of High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutierez, Sally B.

2015-01-01

Scientific literacy has been focused on the construction of students' knowledge to use appropriate and meaningful concepts, critically think, and make balanced, well-informed decisions relevant to their lives. This study presents the effects of integrating socio-scientific issues to enhance the bioethical decision-making skills of biology…

CREATE cornerstone: introduction to scientific thinking, a new course for STEM-interested freshmen, demystifies scientific thinking through analysis of scientific literature.

PubMed

Gottesman, Alan J; Hoskins, Sally G

2013-01-01

The Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment (CREATE) strategy for teaching and learning uses intensive analysis of primary literature to improve students' critical-thinking and content integration abilities, as well as their self-rated science attitudes, understanding, and confidence. CREATE also supports maturation of undergraduates' epistemological beliefs about science. This approach, originally tested with upper-level students, has been adapted in Introduction to Scientific Thinking, a new course for freshmen. Results from this course's initial semesters indicate that freshmen in a one-semester introductory course that uses a narrowly focused set of readings to promote development of analytical skills made significant gains in critical-thinking and experimental design abilities. Students also reported significant gains in their ability to think scientifically and understand primary literature. Their perceptions and understanding of science improved, and multiple aspects of their epistemological beliefs about science gained sophistication. The course has no laboratory component, is relatively inexpensive to run, and could be adapted to any area of scientific study.

CREATE Cornerstone: Introduction to Scientific Thinking, a New Course for STEM-Interested Freshmen, Demystifies Scientific Thinking through Analysis of Scientific Literature

PubMed Central

Gottesman, Alan J.; Hoskins, Sally G.

2013-01-01

The Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment (CREATE) strategy for teaching and learning uses intensive analysis of primary literature to improve students’ critical-thinking and content integration abilities, as well as their self-rated science attitudes, understanding, and confidence. CREATE also supports maturation of undergraduates’ epistemological beliefs about science. This approach, originally tested with upper-level students, has been adapted in Introduction to Scientific Thinking, a new course for freshmen. Results from this course's initial semesters indicate that freshmen in a one-semester introductory course that uses a narrowly focused set of readings to promote development of analytical skills made significant gains in critical-thinking and experimental design abilities. Students also reported significant gains in their ability to think scientifically and understand primary literature. Their perceptions and understanding of science improved, and multiple aspects of their epistemological beliefs about science gained sophistication. The course has no laboratory component, is relatively inexpensive to run, and could be adapted to any area of scientific study. PMID:23463229

Issues Regarding the Assimilation of Cloud and Precipitation Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Errico, Ronald M.; Bauer, Peter; Mahfouf, Jean-Francois

2008-01-01

This is the authors' response to a set of criticisms regarding a previously published work. It briefly addresses the main criticisms. In particular, it explains why some papers identified as having some fundamental flaws were referenced in the original work without detailed exposition of those flaws. It also explains why parts of the conclusion criticized as being contradictory are, in fact, not. It further highlights the need for more publishing of scientific criticisms. In the December 2007, special issue of the Journal of Atmospheric Sciences devoted to the Workshop on Assimilation of Satellite Cloud and Precipitation Observations, the authors published an article summarizing the many critical issues that render observations of cloud and precipitation difficult to analyze. Essentially, these include the inaccuracies of both current instruments and the relationships between what is actually observed (infrared or microwave energy detected at the altitude of the satellite) to what is desired (e.g., estimates of cloud drop sizes or rain rates) and the chaotic nature of atmospheric behavior and the complex mathematics describing it. The paper also included recommendations for future research and brief descriptions of many previous works concerning the subject. One reader is now attempting to publish a criticism of that paper. Her three complaints are that there was insufficient explanation of the identification of some cited works as being fundamentally flawed, that as a review the paper should have referenced some works additional to those it did, and that two recommendations were contradictory. Each of these complaints is addressed briefly in this response. First we explain why a brief list of works cited in our paper were identified as "flawed" with only a brief explanation. The design and conduct of the experiments reported in those papers violate well-established fundamentals such that, once the errors are recognized, their interpretations are no longer supported. Unfortunately, over the years, no researchers have bothered to publish criticisms of those papers, such that there are now too many to address in any single paper not devoted to that purpose. Yet, those papers are so often cited that we could not simply ignore them. Furthermore, if we had cited them without warning our readers regarding their flaws, we would have perpetrated a great disservice. In our response, however, we do offer further explanation of why some details, neglected in these papers, are critical to proper scientific evaluation. Neither did we offer insufficient references. Although we intentionally did not claim to be a "review' paper, we did cite 100 papers. That number is approximately 5 times the usual amount cited in journal articles. Although we only referenced few papers published after 2005, that was because our manuscript was submitted in January 2006, with its final, editorially-reviewed form in June 2006. We therefore could not reference papers published after this date. The problem here is that our paper was "in press" for 18 months. Finally, we explain that a careful reading of our paper reveals that our recommendations are not contradictory. Essentially, although we recommend 2 very distinct research approaches, these are complimentary and either alone is insufficient to accelerate progress. In conclusion, we recommend that the scientific community expends greater effort in publishing careful scientific criticisms so that others do not face the same dilemma we did. Likely this requires some reward system for doing so.

A hand-ergonomics training kit: development and evaluation of a package to support improved awareness and critical thinking.

PubMed

Garmer, Karin; Sperling, Lena; Forsberg, Anette

2002-01-01

A need for a hand-ergonomics training kit has been identified to increase critical thinking concerning choice of hand tools. This study deals with the design, use and evaluation of a hand-ergonomics training kit for use in ergonomics training programmes. The effects on awareness of hand ergonomics among training course participants have been evaluated by means of a questionnaire and interviews at a car production plant in Sweden. The evaluation was carried out about one and a half years after training with the hand-ergonomics training kit. The training kit consists of a guide to practical exercises, equipment for measuring hand size and strength, examples of hand tools for use in practical exercises, equipment for testing and evaluating the hand tools and checklists and judgement forms for qualitative evaluation. In addition, the kit contains relevant scientifically based reference reports on hand ergonomics. The evaluation showed that the practical exercises with the hand-ergonomic training kit had, to a remarkable extent, increased individuals' awareness of anthropometric differences and of the importance of ergonomically well-designed hand tools. After the practical exercises with the training kit, communication within the plant when choosing hand tools seems to be based on objective criteria to a higher degree, however, the results indicate that this communication could be further improved.

How to write a critically appraised topic (CAT).

PubMed

Sadigh, Gelareh; Parker, Robert; Kelly, Aine Marie; Cronin, Paul

2012-07-01

Medical knowledge and the volume of scientific articles published have expanded rapidly over the past 50 years. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has developed to help health practitioners get more benefit from the increasing volume of information to solve complex health problems. A format for sharing information in EBP is the critically appraised topic (CAT). A CAT is a standardized summary of research evidence organized around a clinical question, aimed at providing both a critique of the research and a statement of the clinical relevance of results. In this review, we explain the five steps involved in writing a CAT for a clinical purpose ("Ask," "Search," "Appraise," "Apply," and "Evaluate") and introduce some of the useful electronic resources available to help in creating CATs. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Media Articles Describing Advances in Scientific Research as a Vehicle for Student Engagement Fostering Climate Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brassell, S. C.

2014-12-01

"Records of Global Climate Change" enables students to fulfill the science component of an undergraduate distribution requirement in "Critical Approaches" at IU Bloomington. The course draws students from all disciplines with varying levels of understanding of scientific approaches and often limited familiarity with climate issues. Its discussion sessions seek to foster scientific literacy via an alternating series of assignments focused on a combination of exercises that involve either examination and interpretation of on-line climate data or consideration and assessment of the scientific basis of new discoveries about climate change contained in recently published media articles. The final assignment linked to the discussion sessions requires students to review and summarize the topics discussed during the semester. Their answers provide direct evidence of newly acquired abilities to assimilate and evaluate scientific information on a range of topics related to climate change. In addition, student responses to an end-of-semester survey confirm that the vast majority considers that their knowledge and understanding of climate change was enhanced, and unsolicited comments note that the discussion sessions contributed greatly to this advancement. Many students remarked that the course's emphasis on examination of paleoclimate records helped their comprehension of the unprecedented nature of present-day climate trends. Others reported that their views on the significance of climate change had been transformed, and some commented that they now felt well equipped to engage in discussions about climate change because they were better informed about its scientific basis and facts.

Expanding our perspectives on research in musculoskeletal science and practice.

PubMed

Kerry, Roger

2017-12-01

The quantity and quality of scientific research within physiotherapy has unquestionably grown and matured over the last few decades, especially since the "formal" onset of evidence-based physiotherapy in the 1990s. The urgent need to evaluate our practice for effectiveness and efficiency has been responded to with thought and respect to both scientific integrity and shop-floor clinical needs. However, after thirty years or more of a professionally-governed and strategic approach to research activity, it is now timely to reflect, review, and consider the next chapter in the relationship between scientific research and clinical practice. This masterclass aims to develop a research vision for the future of physiotherapy. It is proposed that a crisis is evident within evidence-based physiotherapy, particular so given the assumed complexity and context-sensitivity of our clinical practice. This crisis period has highlighted fundamental limitations within the way research and practice are currently related. These limitations are presented and framed within the problematisation of empirical and philosophical concerns. As research becomes increasingly aligned to traditional scientific principles, examination of the real world context in which its outcomes are intended expose critical challenges for both research and clinical practice. A reconceptualisation of fundamental elements of scientific research may allow more meaningful relationships between research and clinical practice. A proposed research vision encourages scientific activity to embrace real-world complexity in a way that it is presently unable to. An enhanced person-centered, scientifically-informed world of effective musculoskeletal practice is envisaged. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perspective from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program.

PubMed

Rich, I M; Andejeski, Y; Alciati, M H; Crawford Bisceglio, I; Breslau, E S; McCall, L; Valadez, A

1998-12-01

The Department of Defense (DOD), Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP) was established in 1993. Since its inception, Congress has appropriated more than 878 million dollars for the BCRP, a unique public-private partnership between the DOD, consumer advocacy, and scientific communities which has funded approximately 1,800 breast cancer research grants. Through this partnership, the BCRP designed a model program for consumer involvement in scientific peer review. This paper describes the BCRP's approach to the processes of recruitment, selection, and preparation of consumers for this expanded role. Further, factors critical to program implementation, such as effective program management, ongoing process improvement, strong program leadership, and allocation of resources, that led to the BCRP's success in developing the previously undefined role of breast cancer survivors as members of scientific peer review panels are discussed. The BCRP demonstrates the feasibility and unique contributions of consumers in scientific peer review and provides a critical foundation for future efforts to ensure consumer involvement in scientific research programs.

Network-based statistical comparison of citation topology of bibliographic databases

PubMed Central

Šubelj, Lovro; Fiala, Dalibor; Bajec, Marko

2014-01-01

Modern bibliographic databases provide the basis for scientific research and its evaluation. While their content and structure differ substantially, there exist only informal notions on their reliability. Here we compare the topological consistency of citation networks extracted from six popular bibliographic databases including Web of Science, CiteSeer and arXiv.org. The networks are assessed through a rich set of local and global graph statistics. We first reveal statistically significant inconsistencies between some of the databases with respect to individual statistics. For example, the introduced field bow-tie decomposition of DBLP Computer Science Bibliography substantially differs from the rest due to the coverage of the database, while the citation information within arXiv.org is the most exhaustive. Finally, we compare the databases over multiple graph statistics using the critical difference diagram. The citation topology of DBLP Computer Science Bibliography is the least consistent with the rest, while, not surprisingly, Web of Science is significantly more reliable from the perspective of consistency. This work can serve either as a reference for scholars in bibliometrics and scientometrics or a scientific evaluation guideline for governments and research agencies. PMID:25263231

Reorienting Esthetic Knowing as an Appropriate "Object" of Scientific Inquiry to Advance Understanding of a Critical Pattern of Nursing Knowledge in Practice.

PubMed

Bender, Miriam; Elias, Dina

The esthetic pattern of knowing is critical for nursing practice, yet remains weakly defined and understood. This gap has arguably relegated esthetic knowing to an "ineffable" creativity that resists transparency and understanding, which is a barrier to articulating its value for nursing and its importance in producing beneficial health outcomes. Current philosophy of science developments are synthesized to argue that esthetic knowing is an appropriate "object" of scientific inquiry. Examples of empirical scholarship that can be conceived as scientific inquiry into manifestations of esthetic knowing are highlighted. A program of research is outlined to advance a science of esthetic knowing.

[Role of creative discussion in the learning of critical reading of scientific articles].

PubMed

Cobos-Aguilar, Héctor; Viniegra-Velázquez, Leonardo; Pérez-Cortés, Patricia

2011-01-01

To compare two active educational strategies on critical reading (two and three stages) for research learning in medical students. Four groups were conformed in a quasi-experimental design. The medical student group, related to three stages (critical reading guide resolution, creative discussion, group discussion) g1, n = 9 with school marks > 90 and g2, n = 19 with a < 90, respectively. The two-stage groups (guide resolution and group discussion) were conformed by pre-graduate interns, g3, n = 17 and g4, n = 12, who attended social security general hospitals. A validated and consistent survey with 144 items was applied to the four groups before and after educational strategies. Critical reading with its subcomponents: interpretation, judgment and proposal were evaluated with 47, 49 and 48 items, respectively. The case control studies, cohort studies, diagnostic test and clinical trial designs were evaluated. Nonparametric significance tests were performed to compare the groups and their results. A bias calculation was performed for each group. The highest median was obtained by the three-stage groups (g1 and g2) and so were the medians in interpretation, judgment and proposal. The several research design results were higher in the same groups. An active educational strategy with three stages is superior to another with two stages in medical students. It is advisable to perform these activities in goal of better learning in our students.

The control of ventilation during exercise: a lesson in critical thinking.

PubMed

Bruce, Richard M

2017-12-01

Learning the basic competencies of critical thinking are very important in the education of any young scientist, and teachers must be prepared to help students develop a valuable set of analytic tools. In my experience, this is best achieved by encouraging students to study areas with little scientific consensus, such as the control mechanisms of the exercise ventilatory response, as it can allow greater objectivity when evaluating evidence, while also giving students the freedom to think independently and problem solve. In this article, I discuss teaching strategies by which physiology, biomedical science, and sport science students can simultaneously develop their understanding of respiratory control mechanisms and learn to critically analyze evidence thoroughly. This can be best achieved by utilizing both teacher-led and student-led learning environments, the latter of which encourages the development of learner autonomy and independent problem solving. In this article, I also aim to demonstrate a systematic approach of critical assessment that students can be taught, adapt, and apply independently. Among other things, this strategy involves: 1 ) defining the precise phenomenon in question; 2 ) understanding what investigations must demonstrate to explain the phenomenon and its underlying mechanisms; 3 ) evaluating the explanations/mechanisms of the phenomenon and the evidence for them; and 4 ) forming strategies to produce strong evidence, if none exists. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Healthcare-associated infections: challenges to public health in Brazil.

PubMed

Padoveze, Maria Clara; Fortaleza, Carlos Magno Castelo Branco

2014-12-01

This study presents a critical evaluation of the scientific literature related to this subject, aiming to assess the policies and administrative issues regarding the prevention and magnitude of healthcare-associated infections and discuss the challenges for their prevention in Brazil. The topics discussed included historical and administrative issues, challenges imposed by the characteristics of the healthcare system and the territorial dimension, laboratorial support limitations, costs, institutional culture, professional qualification, and patient engagement. It is urgent to hold a nationwide discussion among government representatives, institutions, and healthcare workers and users to overcome these challenges.

Understanding Risky Behavior: The Influence of Cognitive, Emotional and Hormonal Factors on Decision-Making under Risk.

PubMed

Kusev, Petko; Purser, Harry; Heilman, Renata; Cooke, Alex J; Van Schaik, Paul; Baranova, Victoria; Martin, Rose; Ayton, Peter

2017-01-01

Financial risky decisions and evaluations pervade many human everyday activities. Scientific research in such decision-making typically explores the influence of socio-economic and cognitive factors on financial behavior. However, very little research has explored the holistic influence of contextual, emotional, and hormonal factors on preferences for risk in insurance and investment behaviors. Accordingly, the goal of this review article is to address the complexity of individual risky behavior and its underlying psychological factors, as well as to critically examine current regulations on financial behavior.

Understanding Risky Behavior: The Influence of Cognitive, Emotional and Hormonal Factors on Decision-Making under Risk

PubMed Central

Kusev, Petko; Purser, Harry; Heilman, Renata; Cooke, Alex J.; Van Schaik, Paul; Baranova, Victoria; Martin, Rose; Ayton, Peter

2017-01-01

Financial risky decisions and evaluations pervade many human everyday activities. Scientific research in such decision-making typically explores the influence of socio-economic and cognitive factors on financial behavior. However, very little research has explored the holistic influence of contextual, emotional, and hormonal factors on preferences for risk in insurance and investment behaviors. Accordingly, the goal of this review article is to address the complexity of individual risky behavior and its underlying psychological factors, as well as to critically examine current regulations on financial behavior. PMID:28203215

Human Health Effects of Biphenyl: Key Findings and Scientific Issues

PubMed Central

Li, Zheng; Hogan, Karen A.; Cai, Christine; Rieth, Susan

2015-01-01

Background: In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has evaluated the human health hazards of biphenyl exposure. Objectives: We review key findings and scientific issues regarding expected human health effects of biphenyl. Methods: Scientific literature from 1926 through September 2012 was critically evaluated to identify potential human health hazards associated with biphenyl exposure. Key issues related to the carcinogenicity and noncancer health hazards of biphenyl were examined based on evidence from experimental animal bioassays and mechanistic studies. Discussion: Systematic consideration of experimental animal studies of oral biphenyl exposure took into account the variety of study designs (e.g., study sizes, exposure levels, and exposure durations) to reconcile differing reported results. The available mechanistic and toxicokinetic evidence supports the hypothesis that male rat urinary bladder tumors arise through urinary bladder calculi formation but is insufficient to hypothesize a mode of action for liver tumors in female mice. Biphenyl and its metabolites may induce genetic damage, but a role for genotoxicity in biphenyl-induced carcinogenicity has not been established. Conclusions: The available health effects data for biphenyl provides suggestive evidence for carcinogenicity in humans, based on increased incidences of male rat urinary bladder tumors at high exposure levels and on female mouse liver tumors. Kidney toxicity is also a potential human health hazard of biphenyl exposure. Citation: Li Z, Hogan KA, Cai C, Rieth S. 2016. Human health effects of biphenyl: key findings and scientific issues. Environ Health Perspect 124:703–712; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1509730 PMID:26529796

International global network of fiducial stations: Scientific and implementation issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-11-01

In this report, an ad hoc panel of the National Research Council's Committee on Geodesy, Board of Earth Sciences and Resources (1) evaluates the scientific importance of a global network of fiducial sites, monitored very precisely, using a combination of surface- and space-geodetic techniques; (2) examines strategies for implementing and operating such a network; and (3) assesses whether such a network would provide a suitable global infrastructure for geodetic and other geophysical systems of the next century. The panel concludes that a global network of fiducial sites would be a valuable tool for addressing global change issues and play a critical role in providing a reference frame for scientific Earth missions. The panel suggests that existing global networks be integrated and anticipates that such a network would grow from about 30 to the ultimate size of about 200 fiducial sites. It is noted that such a global network will provide a long-term infrastructure for geodetic and geophysical studies. The panel expects that these fiducial sites would evolve into terrestrial observatories or laboratories that would permit more comprehensive studies of the Earth than those now possible.

Specialized science.

PubMed

Casadevall, Arturo; Fang, Ferric C

2014-04-01

As the body of scientific knowledge in a discipline increases, there is pressure for specialization. Fields spawn subfields that then become entities in themselves that promote further specialization. The process by which scientists join specialized groups has remarkable similarities to the guild system of the middle ages. The advantages of specialization of science include efficiency, the establishment of normative standards, and the potential for greater rigor in experimental research. However, specialization also carries risks of monopoly, monotony, and isolation. The current tendency to judge scientific work by the impact factor of the journal in which it is published may have roots in overspecialization, as scientists are less able to critically evaluate work outside their field than before. Scientists in particular define themselves through group identity and adopt practices that conform to the expectations and dynamics of such groups. As part of our continuing analysis of issues confronting contemporary science, we analyze the emergence and consequences of specialization in science, with a particular emphasis on microbiology, a field highly vulnerable to balkanization along microbial phylogenetic boundaries, and suggest that specialization carries significant costs. We propose measures to mitigate the detrimental effects of scientific specialism.

Profiling and Improving I/O Performance of a Large-Scale Climate Scientific Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhuo; Wang, Bin; Wang, Teng; Tian, Yuan; Xu, Cong; Wang, Yandong; Yu, Weikuan; Cruz, Carlos A.; Zhou, Shujia; Clune, Tom;

Integrated Science Assessment (ISA) for Sulfur Oxides ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This draft document provides EPA’s evaluation and synthesis of the most policy-relevant science related to the health effects of sulfur oxides. When final, it will provide a critical part of the scientific foundation for EPA’s decision regarding the adequacy of the current primary (health-based) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide. The references considered for inclusion in or cited in the external review draft ISA are available at https://hero.epa.gov/hero/sulfur-oxides. The intent of the ISA, according to the CAA, is to “accurately reflect the latest scientific knowledge expected from the presence of [a] pollutant in ambient air” (U.S. Code, 1970a, 1970b). It includes an assessment of scientific research from atmospheric sciences, exposure sciences, dosimetry, mode of action, animal and human toxicology, and epidemiology. Key information and judgments formerly found in the Air Quality Criteria Documents (AQCDs) for sulfur oxides (SOx) are included; Annexes provide additional details supporting the ISA. Together, the ISA and Annexes serve to update and revise the last SOx ISA which was published in 2008.

International global network of fiducial stations: Scientific and implementation issues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

In this report, an ad hoc panel of the National Research Council's Committee on Geodesy, Board of Earth Sciences and Resources (1) evaluates the scientific importance of a global network of fiducial sites, monitored very precisely, using a combination of surface- and space-geodetic techniques; (2) examines strategies for implementing and operating such a network; and (3) assesses whether such a network would provide a suitable global infrastructure for geodetic and other geophysical systems of the next century. The panel concludes that a global network of fiducial sites would be a valuable tool for addressing global change issues and play a critical role in providing a reference frame for scientific Earth missions. The panel suggests that existing global networks be integrated and anticipates that such a network would grow from about 30 to the ultimate size of about 200 fiducial sites. It is noted that such a global network will provide a long-term infrastructure for geodetic and geophysical studies. The panel expects that these fiducial sites would evolve into terrestrial observatories or laboratories that would permit more comprehensive studies of the Earth than those now possible.

Specialized Science

PubMed Central

Fang, Ferric C.

2014-01-01

As the body of scientific knowledge in a discipline increases, there is pressure for specialization. Fields spawn subfields that then become entities in themselves that promote further specialization. The process by which scientists join specialized groups has remarkable similarities to the guild system of the middle ages. The advantages of specialization of science include efficiency, the establishment of normative standards, and the potential for greater rigor in experimental research. However, specialization also carries risks of monopoly, monotony, and isolation. The current tendency to judge scientific work by the impact factor of the journal in which it is published may have roots in overspecialization, as scientists are less able to critically evaluate work outside their field than before. Scientists in particular define themselves through group identity and adopt practices that conform to the expectations and dynamics of such groups. As part of our continuing analysis of issues confronting contemporary science, we analyze the emergence and consequences of specialization in science, with a particular emphasis on microbiology, a field highly vulnerable to balkanization along microbial phylogenetic boundaries, and suggest that specialization carries significant costs. We propose measures to mitigate the detrimental effects of scientific specialism. PMID:24421049

Argumentation Quality of Socio-scientific Issue between High School Students and Postgraduate Students about Cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anisa, A.; Widodo, A.; Riandi, R.

2017-09-01

Argumentation is one factor that can help improve critical thinking skills. Arguing means to defend statements with the various data, denials, evidence, and reinforcement that support the statement. The research aimed to capture the quality of argument skills by students in grade 12 high school students and in postgraduate student on social-scientific issues of cancer. Both group subjects are not in the same school or institution, chosen purposively with the subject of 39 high school students of grade 12 in one district of West Java and 13 students of Biology education postgraduate in one of University in West Java - Indonesia. The results of the quality structure of arguments in both subject groups show the same pattern, which is claim - warrant - and ground, with the quality of counterclaim aspects on the postgraduate students look better than grade 12 students. This provides an illustration that the ability in argumentation between students and teachers in the socio-scientific issue of cancer should be evaluate so that the learning process would be more refined in schools.

Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.

Five central scientific issues are critical to consideration of the treatment in school curricula of the origin and evolution of the universe and of life on earth. These issues are: (1) the nature of science; (2) scientific evidence on the origin of the universe and the earth; (3) the consistent and validated scientific evidence for biological…

The effect of physics-based scientific learning on the improvement of the student’s critical thinking skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaidah, A.; Sukarmin; Sunarno, W.

2018-04-01

This study aimed to determine the influence of a physics-based scientific learning to increase student’s critical thinking skill. This type of this research was quantitative research with taking the conclusion through statistical analysis. This research was carried out in MA (Senior High School) Mu'allimat NW Pancor in the second semester in the academic year of 2016/2017 with all students of XI class. The sampling is done by using technique purposive sampling where the class was taken from XI 6 class. Based on the result of descriptive analysis, it was obtained an average pre-test score of 49.17 and an average post-test score of 82.43. Also, the results showed that the average score was gained of 0.67 with a medium category. Based on the inferential analysis showed the value of t = 22.559 while the ttable in significance level of 5% was 2.04. Thus, t > the ttable from Ha is accepted. Therefore, the pre-test and posttest were different significantly when the students used scientific-based learning. The result showed that a physics-based scientific learning has influenced to increase the student’s critical thinking skill.

NASA Education: Yesterday's Dream...Today's Vision...Tomorrow's Hope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winterton, Joyce L.

2010-01-01

For 50 years, NASA's journeys into air and space have developed humankind's understanding of the universe, advanced technology breakthroughs, enhanced air travel safety and security, and expanded the frontiers of scientific research. These accomplishments share a common genesis: education. Education is a fundamental element of NASA's activities, reflecting a balanced and diverse portfolio of: Elementary and Secondary Education, Higher Education, e-Education, Informal Education, and Minority University Research and Education Programs (MUREP). Previous experience has shown that implementing exciting and compelling NASA missions are critical to inspiring the next generation of explorers, innovators, and leaders. Through partnerships with the Agency's Mission Directorates, other federal agencies, private industries, scientific research, and education/academic organizations, NASA's unique mission and education initiatives (content, people, and facilities) are helping to spark student interest and to guide them toward careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). NASA continues to inspire the next generation of explorers, innovators, and future leaders through its educational investments, which are designed to: (1) Strengthen NASA and the Nation's future workforce -- NASA will identify and develop the critical skills and capabilities needed to ensure achievement of exploration, science, and aeronautics. (2) Attract and retain students in STEM disciplines through a progression of educational opportunities for students, teachers, and faculty -- To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations, and career ambitions of America's young people, NASA will focus on engaging and retaining students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of educational disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific, and technical missions. 3. Engage Americans in NASA's mission -- NASA will build strategic partnerships and links between formal and informal STEM education providers. Through hands-on, interactive, educational activities, NASA will engage students, educators, families, the general public, and all agency stakeholders in increasing America's science and technology literacy. NASA Education uses multiple methods to assess and evaluate the success of its programs and projects. Methods include strategic planning, management and control, expert evaluations and assessments, competitive acquisition, and analysis of performance measurement data and metrics. Additional control measures are in development. These measures will further improve data collection, assist in assessing return on investments, and provide information for accountability in project and program management. In 2009, NASA directly reached over one million students and over 115,000 educators.

Evaluation of Emerging Energy-Efficient Heterogeneous Computing Platforms for Biomolecular and Cellular Simulation Workloads.

PubMed

Stone, John E; Hallock, Michael J; Phillips, James C; Peterson, Joseph R; Luthey-Schulten, Zaida; Schulten, Klaus

2016-05-01

Many of the continuing scientific advances achieved through computational biology are predicated on the availability of ongoing increases in computational power required for detailed simulation and analysis of cellular processes on biologically-relevant timescales. A critical challenge facing the development of future exascale supercomputer systems is the development of new computing hardware and associated scientific applications that dramatically improve upon the energy efficiency of existing solutions, while providing increased simulation, analysis, and visualization performance. Mobile computing platforms have recently become powerful enough to support interactive molecular visualization tasks that were previously only possible on laptops and workstations, creating future opportunities for their convenient use for meetings, remote collaboration, and as head mounted displays for immersive stereoscopic viewing. We describe early experiences adapting several biomolecular simulation and analysis applications for emerging heterogeneous computing platforms that combine power-efficient system-on-chip multi-core CPUs with high-performance massively parallel GPUs. We present low-cost power monitoring instrumentation that provides sufficient temporal resolution to evaluate the power consumption of individual CPU algorithms and GPU kernels. We compare the performance and energy efficiency of scientific applications running on emerging platforms with results obtained on traditional platforms, identify hardware and algorithmic performance bottlenecks that affect the usability of these platforms, and describe avenues for improving both the hardware and applications in pursuit of the needs of molecular modeling tasks on mobile devices and future exascale computers.

The Future of Deep-Ocean Drilling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heirtzler, J. R.; Maxwell, A. E.

1978-01-01

Describes the scientific accomplishments of the International Program of Ocean Drilling (IPOD) during its first decade. Notable are the scientific contributions to understanding the sea floor. Critical decisions for the second decade include economic and social implications. (MA)

Integrating scientific argumentation to improve undergraduate writing and learning in a global environmental change course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kreutz, K. J.; Koffman, B. G.; Trenbath, K. L.

2013-12-01

What makes a good scientific argument? We began ERS201: Global Environmental Change by asking students to reflect on the mechanics of a strong scientific argument. At the same time, we asked them to evaluate global CO2 and sea level data from different time periods in Earth's history to answer the question, 'Is there a relationship between atmospheric CO2 and sea level, and if so, why?' This question formed the theme for the course, a mid-level, inquiry-based class of about 20 students. Each week, students target specific aspects of the climate system through problem sets, which include experimental and laboratory work, basic statistical analyses of paleoclimate datasets, and the development of simple systems models using STELLA software. Every 2-4 weeks, we challenge students to write short (1500 word) data-driven scientific arguments, which require a synthesis of information from their problem sets and from the scientific literature. Students have to develop a clear, testable hypothesis related to each writing prompt, and then make their case using figures they have generated during the weekly problem sets. We evaluate student writing using a rubric that focuses on the structure and clarity of the argument, relevance of the data included, and integration and quality of the graphics, with a lesser emphasis placed on voice and style. In 2013, student scores improved from a median value of 86 × 9% to 94 × 8% over the course of the semester. More importantly, we found that incorporation of scientific argumentation served to increase student understanding of important and sometimes abstract scientific concepts. For example, on pre- and post-course assessments we asked the question, 'What would happen if a significant portion of the sea ice floating in the Arctic Ocean were to melt?' On the pre-assessment, 80% of students said that it would lead to more coastal flooding, while only 20% correctly stated that a decrease in the reflection of solar energy would lead to warmer average global temperatures. On the post-assessment, nearly half of the respondents who originally had selected the sea level answer had switched to the correct response. Student understanding of climate-related concepts improved even if we did not explicitly teach a given subject. Thus, our approach challenged students to go beyond analyzing and interpreting data, to the point where they could articulate an argument based on a range of evidence. Students appreciated the challenge: in anonymous course evaluations, six out of fifteen students reported that scientific writing was the most valuable aspect of the course. Overall, we found that incorporating scientific argumentation improved student learning in this course. Here we will present relevant course content, exercises, assessment data, and student feedback to evaluate progress towards our goal of using a written argumentation approach to improving critical thinking, data analysis, and writing skills. We also discuss plans to incorporate peer review into the Spring 2014 course writing curriculum.

Best practices for evaluating single nucleotide variant calling methods for microbial genomics

PubMed Central

Olson, Nathan D.; Lund, Steven P.; Colman, Rebecca E.; Foster, Jeffrey T.; Sahl, Jason W.; Schupp, James M.; Keim, Paul; Morrow, Jayne B.; Salit, Marc L.; Zook, Justin M.

2015-01-01

Innovations in sequencing technologies have allowed biologists to make incredible advances in understanding biological systems. As experience grows, researchers increasingly recognize that analyzing the wealth of data provided by these new sequencing platforms requires careful attention to detail for robust results. Thus far, much of the scientific Communit’s focus for use in bacterial genomics has been on evaluating genome assembly algorithms and rigorously validating assembly program performance. Missing, however, is a focus on critical evaluation of variant callers for these genomes. Variant calling is essential for comparative genomics as it yields insights into nucleotide-level organismal differences. Variant calling is a multistep process with a host of potential error sources that may lead to incorrect variant calls. Identifying and resolving these incorrect calls is critical for bacterial genomics to advance. The goal of this review is to provide guidance on validating algorithms and pipelines used in variant calling for bacterial genomics. First, we will provide an overview of the variant calling procedures and the potential sources of error associated with the methods. We will then identify appropriate datasets for use in evaluating algorithms and describe statistical methods for evaluating algorithm performance. As variant calling moves from basic research to the applied setting, standardized methods for performance evaluation and reporting are required; it is our hope that this review provides the groundwork for the development of these standards. PMID:26217378

Mitigating Evidentiary Bias in Planning and Policy-Making Comment on "Reflective Practice: How the World Bank Explored Its Own Biases?"

PubMed

Parkhurst, Justin

2016-07-20

The field of cognitive psychology has increasingly provided scientific insights to explore how humans are subject to unconscious sources of evidentiary bias, leading to errors that can affect judgement and decision-making. Increasingly these insights are being applied outside the realm of individual decision-making to the collective arena of policy-making as well. A recent editorial in this journal has particularly lauded the work of the World Bank for undertaking an open and critical reflection on sources of unconscious bias in its own expert staff that could undermine achievement of its key goals. The World Bank case indeed serves as a remarkable case of a global policy-making agency making its own critical reflections transparent for all to see. Yet the recognition that humans are prone to cognitive errors has been known for centuries, and the scientific exploration of such biases provided by cognitive psychology is now well-established. What still remains to be developed, however, is a widespread body of work that can inform efforts to institutionalise strategies to mitigate the multiple sources and forms of evidentiary bias arising within administrative and policy-making environments. Addressing this gap will require a programme of conceptual and empirical work that supports robust development and evaluation of institutional bias mitigation strategies. The cognitive sciences provides a scientific basis on which to proceed, but a critical priority will now be the application of that science to improve policy-making within those agencies taking responsibility for social welfare and development programmes. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Learning Benefits of Being Willing and Able to Engage in Scientific Argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bathgate, Meghan; Crowell, Amanda; Schunn, Christian; Cannady, Mac; Dorph, Rena

2015-07-01

Engaging in science as an argumentative practice can promote students' critical thinking, reflection, and evaluation of evidence. However, many do not approach science in this way. Furthermore, the presumed confrontational nature of argumentation may run against cultural norms particularly during the sensitive time of early adolescence. This paper explores whether middle-school students' ability to engage in critical components of argumentation in science impacts science classroom learning. It also examines whether students' willingness to do so attenuates or moderates that benefit. In other words, does one need to be both willing and able to engage critically with the discursive nature of science to receive benefits to learning? This study of middle-school students participating in four months of inquiry science shows a positive impact of argumentative sensemaking ability on learning, as well as instances of a moderating effect of one's willingness to engage in argumentative discourse. Possible mechanisms and the potential impacts to educational practices are discussed.

The Relevance of Feenberg's Critical Theory of Technology to Critical Visual Literacy: The Case of Scientific and Technical Illustrations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northcut, Kathryn M.

2007-01-01

Andrew Feenberg's critical theory of technology is an underutilized, relatively unknown resource in technical communication which could be exploited not only for its potential clarification of large social issues that involve our discipline, but also specifically toward the development of a critical theory of illustrations. Applications of…

Taking financial relationships into account when assessing research.

PubMed

Resnik, David B; Elliott, Kevin C

2013-01-01

Many scientific journals, government agencies, and universities require disclosure of sources of funding and financial interests related to research, such as stock ownership, consulting arrangements with companies, and patents. Although disclosure has become one of the central approaches for responding to financial conflicts of interest (COIs) in research, critics contend that information about financial COIs does not serve as a reliable indicator of research credibility, and therefore, studies should be evaluated solely based on their scientific merits. We argue that, while it is indeed important to evaluate studies on their scientific merits, it is often difficult to detect significant influences of financial relationships that affect research credibility. Moreover, at least five factors can be examined to determine whether financial relationships are likely to enhance, undermine, or have no impact on the credibility of research. These include as follows: whether sponsors, institutions, or researchers have a significant financial stake in the outcome of a study; whether the financial interests of the sponsors, institutions, or researchers coincide with the goal of conducting research that is objective and reliable; whether the sponsor, institution, or researchers have a history of biasing research in order to promote their financial goals; how easy it is to manipulate the research in order to achieve financial goals; and whether oversight mechanisms are in place which are designed to minimize bias. Since these factors vary from case to case, evaluating the impact of financial relationships depends on the circumstances. In some situations, one may decide that the financial relationships significantly undermine the study's credibility; in others, one may decide that they have no impact on credibility or even enhance it.

The Impact of an Interactive Statistics Module on Novices' Development of Scientific Process Skills and Attitudes in a First-Semester Research Foundations Course.

PubMed

Marsan, Lynnsay A; D'Arcy, Christina E; Olimpo, Jeffrey T

2016-12-01

Evidence suggests that incorporating quantitative reasoning exercises into existent curricular frameworks within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is essential for novices' development of conceptual understanding and process skills in these domains. Despite this being the case, such studies acknowledge that students often experience difficulty in applying mathematics in the context of scientific problems. To address this concern, the present study sought to explore the impact of active demonstrations and critical reading exercises on novices' comprehension of basic statistical concepts, including hypothesis testing, experimental design, and interpretation of research findings. Students first engaged in a highly interactive height activity that served to intuitively illustrate normal distribution, mean, standard deviation, and sample selection criteria. To enforce practical applications of standard deviation and p -value, student teams were subsequently assigned a figure from a peer-reviewed primary research article and instructed to evaluate the trustworthiness of the data. At the conclusion of this exercise, students presented their evaluations to the class for open discussion and commentary. Quantitative assessment of pre- and post-module survey data indicated a statistically significant increase both in students' scientific reasoning and process skills and in their self-reported confidence in understanding the statistical concepts presented in the module. Furthermore, data indicated that the majority of students (>85%) found the module both interesting and helpful in nature. Future studies will seek to develop additional, novel exercises within this area and to evaluate the impact of such modules across a variety of STEM and non-STEM contexts.

The Impact of an Interactive Statistics Module on Novices’ Development of Scientific Process Skills and Attitudes in a First-Semester Research Foundations Course†

PubMed Central

Marsan, Lynnsay A.; D’Arcy, Christina E.; Olimpo, Jeffrey T.

2016-01-01

Evidence suggests that incorporating quantitative reasoning exercises into existent curricular frameworks within the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is essential for novices’ development of conceptual understanding and process skills in these domains. Despite this being the case, such studies acknowledge that students often experience difficulty in applying mathematics in the context of scientific problems. To address this concern, the present study sought to explore the impact of active demonstrations and critical reading exercises on novices’ comprehension of basic statistical concepts, including hypothesis testing, experimental design, and interpretation of research findings. Students first engaged in a highly interactive height activity that served to intuitively illustrate normal distribution, mean, standard deviation, and sample selection criteria. To enforce practical applications of standard deviation and p-value, student teams were subsequently assigned a figure from a peer-reviewed primary research article and instructed to evaluate the trustworthiness of the data. At the conclusion of this exercise, students presented their evaluations to the class for open discussion and commentary. Quantitative assessment of pre- and post-module survey data indicated a statistically significant increase both in students’ scientific reasoning and process skills and in their self-reported confidence in understanding the statistical concepts presented in the module. Furthermore, data indicated that the majority of students (>85%) found the module both interesting and helpful in nature. Future studies will seek to develop additional, novel exercises within this area and to evaluate the impact of such modules across a variety of STEM and non-STEM contexts. PMID:28101271

Crime scene units: a look to the future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, Hayden B.

1999-02-01

The scientific examination of physical evidence is well recognized as a critical element in conducting successful criminal investigations and prosecutions. The forensic science field is an ever changing discipline. With the arrival of DNA, new processing techniques for latent prints, portable lasers, and electro-static dust print lifters, and training of evidence technicians has become more important than ever. These scientific and technology breakthroughs have increased the possibility of collecting and analyzing physical evidence that was never possible before. The problem arises with the collection of physical evidence from the crime scene not from the analysis of the evidence. The need for specialized units in the processing of all crime scenes is imperative. These specialized units, called crime scene units, should be trained and equipped to handle all forms of crime scenes. The crime scenes units would have the capability to professionally evaluate and collect pertinent physical evidence from the crime scenes.

Male circumcision and HIV infection risk.

PubMed

Krieger, John N

2012-02-01

Male circumcision is being promoted to reduce human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) infection rates. This review evaluates the scientific evidence suggesting that male circumcision reduces HIV infection risk in high-risk heterosexual populations. We followed the updated International Consultation on Urological Diseases evidence-based medicine recommendations to critically review the scientific evidence on male circumcision and HIV infection risk. Level 1 evidence supports the concept that male circumcision substantially reduces the risk of HIV infection. Three major lines of evidence support this conclusion: biological data suggesting that this concept is plausible, data from observational studies supported by high-quality meta-analyses, and three randomized clinical trials supported by high-quality meta-analyses. The evidence from these biological studies, observational studies, randomized controlled clinical trials, meta-analyses, and cost-effectiveness studies is conclusive. The challenges to implementation of male circumcision as a public health measure in high-risk populations must now be faced.

Heterogeneous high throughput scientific computing with APM X-Gene and Intel Xeon Phi

DOE PAGES

Abdurachmanov, David; Bockelman, Brian; Elmer, Peter; ...

2015-05-22

Electrical power requirements will be a constraint on the future growth of Distributed High Throughput Computing (DHTC) as used by High Energy Physics. Performance-per-watt is a critical metric for the evaluation of computer architectures for cost- efficient computing. Additionally, future performance growth will come from heterogeneous, many-core, and high computing density platforms with specialized processors. In this paper, we examine the Intel Xeon Phi Many Integrated Cores (MIC) co-processor and Applied Micro X-Gene ARMv8 64-bit low-power server system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for scientific computing applications. As a result, we report our experience on software porting, performance and energy efficiency and evaluatemore » the potential for use of such technologies in the context of distributed computing systems such as the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG).« less

Knowledge producers or knowledge consumers? Argumentation and decision making about environmental management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

JiméNez-Aleixandre, Maria-Pilar

2002-11-01

This paper describes a case study involving decision making and argumentation, in the context of wetland environmental management, by 11th-grade students (16-17 years old). The purpose was to study the components of knowledge and skills needed to reach a decision in socio-scientific contexts and to identify them in classroom discourse. The following dimensions of decision making were explored: the use of relevant knowledge to understand and make decisions about the problem; and the critical processing of sources of information and authority and the development of criteria for evaluating possible solutions to the problem. Students' conversations were recorded and analysed using Toulmin's (1958) and Walton's (1996) argument schemes. The students' arguments and warrants were compared with the argument of an external 'official' expert. Issues such as expert status, that is, who can be considered as a source of knowledge and authority and the participation of citizens in scientific practice are also discussed.

Forensic historiography: narratives and science.

PubMed

Drukteinis, Albert M

2014-01-01

Psychiatrists function, in part, as historians who rely on patient narratives to help them understand presenting mental disorders and explain their causes. Forensic psychiatrists have been skeptical of using narratives, raising concerns about their lack of objectivity and potential for bias. They also have criticized narratives as being more performative than scientific. Recent authors, however, have pointed out that narratives may be helpful in forming forensic opinions and supporting oral testimony, while stressing that their use must be consistent with the ethics espoused by forensic psychiatry. This article reviews the role of narratives in understanding human events and the ubiquitous presence of narratives in the judicial process. It delves into the inescapability of using explicit or implicit narratives in the course of forensic practice, as well as how they may be meaningfully incorporated into evaluations and find expression alongside scientific principles. © 2014 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Which medicine? Whose standard? Critical reflections on medical integration in China

PubMed Central

Fan, Ruiping; Holliday, Ian

2007-01-01

There is a prevailing conviction that if traditional medicine (TRM) or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are integrated into healthcare systems, modern scientific medicine (MSM) should retain its principal status. This paper contends that this position is misguided in medical contexts where TRM is established and remains vibrant. By reflecting on the Chinese policy on three entrenched forms of TRM (Tibetan, Mongolian and Uighur medicines) in western regions of China, the paper challenges the ideology of science that lies behind the demand that all traditional forms of medicine be evaluated and reformed according to MSM standards. Tibetan medicine is used as a case study to indicate the falsity of a major premise of the scientific ideology. The conclusion is that the proper integrative system for TRM and MSM is a dual standard based system in which both TRM and MSM are free to operate according to their own medical standards. PMID:17664302

Translating Behavioral Science into Practice: A Framework to Determine Science Quality and Applicability for Police Organizations.

PubMed

McClure, Kimberley A; McGuire, Katherine L; Chapan, Denis M

2018-05-07

Policy on officer-involved shootings is critically reviewed and errors in applying scientific knowledge identified. Identifying and evaluating the most relevant science to a field-based problem is challenging. Law enforcement administrators with a clear understanding of valid science and application are in a better position to utilize scientific knowledge for the benefit of their organizations and officers. A recommended framework is proposed for considering the validity of science and its application. Valid science emerges via hypothesis testing, replication, extension and marked by peer review, known error rates, and general acceptance in its field of origin. Valid application of behavioral science requires an understanding of the methodology employed, measures used, and participants recruited to determine whether the science is ready for application. Fostering a science-practitioner partnership and an organizational culture that embraces quality, empirically based policy, and practices improves science-to-practice translation. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Guide for the support of health claims in foods.

PubMed

González-Navarro, Carlos Javier; Martinez, J Alfredo

2015-07-01

During the past years there is a rising demand for improving the quality and nutritional value of foods that has encouraged the research and development of new food ingredients and products. Nevertheless, to date, many of the health claim applications evaluating EFSA have been rejected. Hence, it is critical for companies involved in the development of functional foods to be aware of the full flowchart needed for the scientific support of a health claim from the very beginning. This series of articles summarize the conclusions presented in July 2014 during the workshop INCOMES devoted to clarify methodologies for scientific support of health claims in foods/ingredients, in the framework of the XVI Reunión de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición, and are intended to be a practical tool, outlining the sections that an application for authorization of a health claim should contain.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the 2000-2001 NASA "Why?" Files Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Frank, Kari Lou; Ashcroft, Scott B.; Williams, Amy C.

2002-01-01

NASA 'Why?' Files, a research and standards-based, Emmy-award winning series of 60-minute instructional programs for grades 3-5, introduces students to NASA; integrates mathematics, science, and technology by using Problem-Based Learning (PBL), scientific inquiry, and the scientific method; and motivates students to become critical thinkers and active problem solvers. All four 2000-2001 NASA 'Why?' Files programs include an instructional broadcast, a lesson guide, an interactive web site, plus numerous instructional resources. In March 2001, 1,000 randomly selected program registrants participated in a survey. Of these surveys, 185 (154 usable) met the established cut-off date. Respondents reported that (1) they used the four programs in the 2000-2001 NASA 'Why?' Files series; (2) series goals and objectives were met; (3) programs met national mathematics, science, and technology standards; (4) program content was developmentally appropriate for grade level; and (5) programs enhanced/enriched the teaching of mathematics, science, and technology.

Horoscopes Versus Telescopes: A Focus on Astrology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraknoi, Andrew, Ed.

1988-01-01

Criticizes astrology and uses student interest to help encouraging critical thinking and the scientific method. Provides some thought-provoking questions, three activities, and resource materials and a list of astronomy organizations. (YP)

Use of virtual reality systems as proprioception method in cerebral palsy: clinical practice guideline.

PubMed

Monge Pereira, E; Molina Rueda, F; Alguacil Diego, I M; Cano de la Cuerda, R; de Mauro, A; Miangolarra Page, J C

2014-01-01

The limitations in performing functional activities in children and adolescents with cerebral palsy are important. The use of virtual reality systems is a new treatment approach that reinforces task-oriented motor learning. The purpose of this guide is to study the impact of the use of virtual reality systems in the improvement and acquisition of functional skills, and to evaluate the scientific evidence to determine the strength of recommendation of such interventions. All available full-text articles, regardless of their methodology, were included. The following data bases were consulted: PubMed (Medline), PEDro, EMBASE (OVID-Elsevier), Cochrane Library, Medline (OVID), CINAHL, ISI Web Knowledge. An assessment was made of methodological quality, the level of scientific evidence, and the strength of recommendations using the tools: Critical Review Form - Quantitative Studies and the Guidelines for Critical Review Form - Quantitative Studies and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Finally, we included 13 articles and 97 participants were recruited. We obtained significant improvements in outcome measures that assessed postural control and balance, upper limb function, the selective joint control, and gait. The guide has some limitations: the limited number of patients enrolled, clinical diversity and age range, as well as the methodological quality of existing trials. Virtual reality is a promising tool in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy. There is strong scientific evidence of an acceptable recommendation for the use of virtual reality systems in the treatment of cerebral palsy. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides: a scientometric approach visualizing worldwide research activity.

PubMed

Gerber, Alexander; Klingelhoefer, Doris; Groneberg, David; Bundschuh, Matthias

2014-09-01

To provide a critical evaluation of quality and quantity regarding scientific efforts on antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitides (AAV) during the past 20 years. Scientometric benchmark procedures, density-equalizing mapping and large-scale data analysis were used to visualize bi- and multilateral research cooperation and institutional collaborations, and to identify the most successful countries, institutions, authors and journals concerned with AAV. The USA are the most productive supplier and have established their position as center of international cooperation with 22.5% of all publications, followed by Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Japan, respectively. The most successful international cooperation proved to be the one between the USA, Germany and the UK. A distinct global pattern of research productivity and citation activity was revealed, with the USA and Germany holding both the highest h-index and the highest number of total citations, but Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands leading with regards to the citation rate. Some large and productive countries such as Japan, China and Turkey show only a few international cooperations. The present study represents the first detailed scientometric analysis and visualization of research quality and quantity on 'ANCA- associated vasculitides'. It was shown that scientometric indicators such as h-index, citation rate and impact factor, commonly used for assessment of scientific quality, have to be seen critically due to distortion by self-citation, co-authorship and language bias. Countries with considerable numbers of patients should enhance international collaboration behavior for the benefit of international scientific and clinical progress. © 2014 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Evaluating the process parameters of the dry coating process using a 2(5-1) factorial design.

PubMed

Kablitz, Caroline Désirée; Urbanetz, Nora Anne

2013-02-01

A recent development of coating technology is dry coating, where polymer powder and liquid plasticizer are layered on the cores without using organic solvents or water. Several studies evaluating the process were introduced in literature, however, little information about the critical process parameters (CPPs) is given. Aim of the study was the investigation and optimization of CPPs with respect to one of the critical quality attributes (CQAs), the coating efficiency of the dry coating process in a rotary fluid bed. Theophylline pellets were coated with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate as enteric film former and triethyl citrate and acetylated monoglyceride as plasticizer. A 2(5-1) design of experiments (DOEs) was created investigating five independent process parameters namely coating temperature, curing temperature, feeding/spraying rate, air flow and rotor speed. The results were evaluated by multilinear regression using the software Modde(®) 7. It is shown, that generally, low feeding/spraying rates and low rotor speeds increase coating efficiency. High coating temperatures enhance coating efficiency, whereas medium curing temperatures have been found to be optimum in terms of coating efficiency. This study provides a scientific base for the design of efficient dry coating processes with respect to coating efficiency.

The Scientific Value of Cognitive Load Theory: A Research Agenda Based on the Structuralist View of Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerjets, Peter; Scheiter, Katharina; Cierniak, Gabriele

2009-01-01

In this paper, two methodological perspectives are used to elaborate on the value of cognitive load theory (CLT) as a scientific theory. According to the more traditional critical rationalism of Karl Popper, CLT cannot be considered a scientific theory because some of its fundamental assumptions cannot be tested empirically and are thus not…

The Integration of HIV and AIDS as a Socio-Scientific Issue in the Life Sciences Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolff, Eugenie; Mnguni, Lindelani

2015-01-01

The potential of science to transform lives has been highlighted by a number of scholars. This means that critical socio-scientific issues (SSIs) must be integrated into science curricula. Development of context-specific scientific knowledge and twenty-first-century learning skills in science education could be used to address SSIs such as…

Private Science and Public Knowledge: The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Claims of the Paranormal and its Use of the Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinch, T. J.; Collins, H. M.

1984-01-01

Shows the part played by formal/informal literatures in the social construction of scientific knowledge, analyzing the work of the "Committee for the Scientific Investigation of the Claims of the Paranormal" (which critically investigates fringe-sciences). Indicates that popular literature can deconstruct facts while scientific…

Using HeLa Cell Stress Response to Introduce First Year Students to the Scientific Method, Laboratory Techniques, Primary Literature, and Scientific Writing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Resendes, Karen K.

2015-01-01

Incorporating scientific literacy into inquiry driven research is one of the most effective mechanisms for developing an undergraduate student's strength in writing. Additionally, discovery-based laboratories help develop students who approach science as critical thinkers. Thus, a three-week laboratory module for an introductory cell and molecular…

Scientific literacy for democratic decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yacoubian, Hagop A.

2018-02-01

Scientifically literate citizens must be able to engage in making decisions on science-based social issues. In this paper, I start by showing examples of science curricula and policy documents that capitalise the importance of engaging future citizens in decision-making processes whether at the personal or at the societal levels. I elucidate the ideological underpinnings behind a number of the statements within those documents that have defined the trajectory of scientific literacy and have shaped what ought to be considered as personal and societal benefits. I argue that science curricula and policy documents can truly endorse scientific literacy when they embed principles of democratic education at their core. The latter entails fostering learning experiences where some of the underlying assumptions and political ideologies are brought to the conscious level and future citizens encouraged to reflect upon them critically and explicitly. Such a proposal empowers the future citizens to engage in critical deliberation on science-based social issues without taking the underlying status quo for granted. I end up the paper by situating the preparation of scientifically literate citizens within a framework of democratic education, discuss conditions through which a curriculum for scientific literacy can serve democratic decision-making processes, and provide modest recommendations.

Web-based educational activities developed by the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC): the experience of process, utilization, and expert evaluation.

PubMed

Sharma, Deepak; Bilotta, Federico; Moore, Laurel E; Bebawy, John F; Flexman, Alana M; Rochlen, Lauryn; Gorji, Reza; Avitsian, Rafi

2014-01-01

Web-based delivery of educational material by scientific societies appears to have increased recently. However, the utilization of such efforts by the members of professional societies is unknown. We report the experience with delivery of educational resources on the Web site of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care (SNACC), and utilization of those resources by members. Three web-based educational initiatives were developed over 1 year to be disseminated through the SNACC Web site (http://www.snacc.org) for society members: (1) The SNACC Bibliography; (2) "Chat with the Author"; and (3) Clinical Case Discussions. Content experts and authors of important new research publications were invited to contribute. Member utilization data were abstracted with the help of the webmaster. For the bibliography, there were 1175 page requests during the 6-month period after its launch by 122/664 (19%) distinct SNACC members. The bibliography was utilized by 107/553 (19%) of the active members and 15/91 (16.5%) of the trainee members. The "Chats with the Authors" were viewed by 56 (9%) members and the Clinical Case Discussions by 51 (8%) members. Educational resources can be developed in a timely manner utilizing member contributions without additional financial implications. However, the member utilization of these resources was lower than expected. These are first estimates of utilization of web-based educational resources by members of a scientific society. Further evaluation of such utilization by members of other societies as well as measures of the effectiveness and impact of such activities is needed.

Critical Realism and Empirical Bioethics: A Methodological Exposition.

PubMed

McKeown, Alex

2017-09-01

This paper shows how critical realism can be used to integrate empirical data and philosophical analysis within 'empirical bioethics'. The term empirical bioethics, whilst appearing oxymoronic, simply refers to an interdisciplinary approach to the resolution of practical ethical issues within the biological and life sciences, integrating social scientific, empirical data with philosophical analysis. It seeks to achieve a balanced form of ethical deliberation that is both logically rigorous and sensitive to context, to generate normative conclusions that are practically applicable to the problem, challenge, or dilemma. Since it incorporates both philosophical and social scientific components, empirical bioethics is a field that is consistent with the use of critical realism as a research methodology. The integration of philosophical and social scientific approaches to ethics has been beset with difficulties, not least because of the irreducibly normative, rather than descriptive, nature of ethical analysis and the contested relation between fact and value. However, given that facts about states of affairs inform potential courses of action and their consequences, there is a need to overcome these difficulties and successfully integrate data with theory. Previous approaches have been formulated to overcome obstacles in combining philosophical and social scientific perspectives in bioethical analysis; however each has shortcomings. As a mature interdisciplinary approach critical realism is well suited to empirical bioethics, although it has hitherto not been widely used. Here I show how it can be applied to this kind of research and explain how it represents an improvement on previous approaches.

Collaboration and Team Science: From Theory to Practice

PubMed Central

Gadlin, Howard

2013-01-01

Interdisciplinary efforts are becoming more critical for scientific discovery and translational research efforts. Highly integrated and interactive research teams share a number of features that contribute to their success in developing and sustaining their efforts over time. Through analysis of in-depth interviews with members of highly successful research teams and others that did not meet their goals or ended due to conflicts, we identified key elements that appear critical for team success and effectiveness. There is no debate that the scientific goal sits at the center of the collaborative effort. However, supporting features need to be in place to avoid the derailment of the team. Among the most important of these is trust: without trust the team dynamic runs the risk of deteriorating over time. Other critical factors of which both leaders and participants need to be aware include developing a shared vision, strategically identifying team members and purposefully building the team, promoting disagreement while containing conflict, and setting clear expectations for sharing credit and authorship. Self-awareness and strong communication skills contribute greatly to effective leadership and management strategies of scientific teams. While all successful teams share the characteristic of effectively carrying out these activities, there is no single formula for execution with every leader exemplifying different strengths and weaknesses. Successful scientific collaborations have strong leaders who are self -aware and are mindful of the many elements critical for supporting the science at the center of the effort. PMID:22525233

Identities, social representations and critical thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Facal, Ramón; Jiménez-Aleixandre, María Pilar

2009-09-01

This comment on L. Simonneaux and J. Simonneaux paper focuses on the role of identities in dealing with socio-scientific issues. We argue that there are two types of identities (social representations) influencing the students' positions: On the one hand their social representations of the bears' and wolves' identities as belonging to particular countries (Slovenia versus France for bears, France and Italy for wolves), in other words, as having national identities; on the other hand representations of their own identities as belonging to the field of agricultural practitioners, and so sharing this socio-professional identity with shepherds and breeders, as opposed to ecologists. We discuss how these representations of identities influenced students' reasoning and argumentation, blocking in some cases the evaluation of evidence. Implications for developing critical thinking and for dealing with SSI in the classrooms are outlined.

Inter-observer agreement on a checklist to evaluate scientific publications in the field of animal reproduction.

PubMed

Simoneit, Céline; Heuwieser, Wolfgang; Arlt, Sebastian P

2012-01-01

This study's objective was to determine respondents' inter-observer agreement on a detailed checklist to evaluate three exemplars (one case report, one randomized controlled study without blinding, and one blinded, randomized controlled study) of the scientific literature in the field of bovine reproduction. Fourteen international scientists in the field of animal reproduction were provided with the three articles, three copies of the checklist, and a supplementary explanation. Overall, 13 responded to more than 90% of the items. Overall repeatability between respondents using Fleiss's κ was 0.35 (fair agreement). Combining the "strongly agree" and "agree" responses and the "strongly disagree" and "disagree" responses increased κ to 0.49 (moderate agreement). Evaluation of information given in the three articles on housing of the animals (35% identical answers) and preconditions or pretreatments (42%) varied widely. Even though the overall repeatability was fair, repeatability concerning the important categories was high (e.g., level of agreement=98%). Our data show that the checklist is a reasonable and practical supporting tool to assess the quality of publications. Therefore, it may be used in teaching and practicing evidence-based veterinary medicine. It can support training in systematic and critical appraisal of information and in clinical decision making.

Towards an effective data peer review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Düsterhus, André; Hense, Andreas

2014-05-01

Peer review is an established procedure to ensure the quality of scientific publications and is currently used as a prerequisite for acceptance of papers in the scientific community. In the past years the publication of raw data and its metadata got increased attention, which led to the idea of bringing it to the same standards the journals for traditional publications have. One missing element to achieve this is a comparable peer review scheme. This contribution introduces the idea of a quality evaluation process, which is designed to analyse the technical quality as well as the content of a dataset. It bases on quality tests, which results are evaluated with the help of the knowledge of an expert. The results of the tests and the expert knowledge are evaluated probabilistically and are statistically combined. As a result the quality of a dataset is estimated with a single value only. This approach allows the reviewer to quickly identify the potential weaknesses of a dataset and generate a transparent and comprehensible report. To demonstrate the scheme, an application on a large meteorological dataset will be shown. Furthermore, potentials and risks of such a scheme will be introduced and practical implications for its possible introduction to data centres investigated. Especially, the effects of reducing the estimate of quality of a dataset to a single number will be critically discussed.

Critical evaluation of unscientific arguments disparaging affirmative infant male circumcision policy

PubMed Central

Morris, Brian J; Krieger, John N; Klausner, Jeffrey D

2016-01-01

We evaluate recent claims opposing infant male circumcision, a procedure now supported by the evidence-based policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We find those criticisms depend on speculative claims about the foreskin and obfuscation of the strong scientific evidence supporting pediatric policy development. An argument that circumcision should be delayed to allow a boy to make up his own mind as an adult fails to appreciate the psychological, scheduling and financial burdens later circumcision entails, so reducing the likelihood that it will occur. In contrast, early infant circumcision is convenient, safer, quicker, lower risk, healing is faster, cosmetic outcome is routinely good and the lifetime benefits accrue immediately. Benefits include reduction in urinary tract infections, inflammatory skin conditions, foreskin problems, and, when older, substantial protection against sexually transmitted infections and genital cancers in the male and his female sexual partners. Some authorities regard the failure to offer parents early infant circumcision as unethical, just as it would be unethical to fail to encourage the vaccination of children. In conclusion, the criticisms of evidence-based infant male circumcision policy are seriously flawed and should be dismissed as unhelpful to evidence-based development and implementation of pediatric policy intended to improve public health and individual wellbeing. PMID:27610340

Adaptation and Evaluation of Online Self-learning Modules to Teach Critical Appraisal and Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing: An International Collaboration.

PubMed

Gagnon, Johanne; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Buteau, Rose-Anne; Azizah, Ginette Mbourou; Jetté, Sylvie; Lampron, Amélie; Simonyan, David; Asua, José; Reviriego, Eva

2015-07-01

Healthcare professionals need to update their knowledge and acquire skills to continually inform their practice based on scientific evidence. This study was designed to evaluate online self-learning modules on critical appraisal skills to promote the use of research in clinical practice among nurses from Quebec (Canada) and the Basque Country (Spain). The teaching material was developed in Quebec and adapted to the Basque Country as part of an international collaboration project. A prospective pre-post study was conducted with 36 nurses from Quebec and 47 from the Basque Country. Assessment comprised the administration of questionnaires before and after the course in order to explore the main intervention outcomes: knowledge acquisition and self-learning readiness. Satisfaction was also measured at the end of the course. Two of the three research hypotheses were confirmed: (1) participants significantly improved their overall knowledge score after the educational intervention; and (2) they were, in general, satisfied with the course, giving it a rating of seven out of 10. Participants also reported a greater readiness for self-directed learning after the course, but this result was not significant in Quebec. The study provides unique knowledge on the cultural adaptation of online self-learning modules for teaching nurses about critical appraisal skills and evidence-based practice.

Reporting and interpreting research in PSPB: practices, principles, and pragmatics.

PubMed

Kashy, Deborah A; Donnellan, M Brent; Ackerman, Robert A; Russell, Daniel W

2009-09-01

This article is designed to provide psychologists who publish articles in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (PSPB) with a set of basic issues to consider when reporting their analyses and results. We first assessed the current reporting practices of social and personality psychologists by conducting an analysis of PSPB articles published in the first half of 2007. We evaluated the completeness of these reports with respect to the level of detail in both the Method and Results sections. We then used this information to develop recommendations that we hope will enhance the reporting of quantitative research in social and personality psychology. These suggestions emphasize ways to increase transparency in research reports. Transparency facilitates replication and a critical evaluation of research, thereby promoting scientific progress.

NASA SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION (STI) PROGRAM PLAN

EPA Science Inventory

NASA's scientific and technical information (STI) is an essential product of research, facilitates technology transfer, and enhances the competitive edge of U.S. companies and educational institutions. NASA's STI is an integral part of NASA's information transfer and is critical...

Openness Versus Obstruction: The Importance of Protecting Open Data and Transparency, While Guarding Against Obstruction and Interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenthal, S.; Kurtz, L.

2017-12-01

Open data plays an important role in facilitating scientific progress and developing sound public policies. However, sometimes important scientific initiatives can be subverted by those seeking to politicize science and attack scientists. There is a critical distinction between data openness, and forcing scientists to live in a fishbowl by demanding disclosure of traditionally confidential materials, such as peer review correspondence or preliminary drafts. The former is intended to promote scientific advances (which may well involve criticisms and disagreements), while the latter is an attempt to chill and disrupt research. Agenda-driven groups have sought to obtain scientists' private emails, preliminary drafts, and peer critiques - which may include technical jargon and "what if" debates that can easily be taken out of context - in an effort to intimidate researchers and disrupt their work. Fostering true transparency requires an understanding of what should be shared to advance scientific research, including disclosing information that might expose potential biases (such as funding information), while also protecting the candid debate, open collaboration, and academic freedom that is integral to the scientific process.

Impact of Including Authentic Inquiry Experiences in Methods Courses for Pre-Service Secondary Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slater, T. F.; Elfring, L.; Novodvorsky, I.; Talanquer, V.; Quintenz, J.

2007-12-01

Science education reform documents universally call for students to have authentic and meaningful experiences using real data in the context of their science education. The underlying philosophical position is that students analyzing data can have experiences that mimic actual research. In short, research experiences that reflect the scientific spirit of inquiry potentially can: prepare students to address real world complex problems; develop students' ability to use scientific methods; prepare students to critically evaluate the validity of data or evidence and of the consequent interpretations or conclusions; teach quantitative skills, technical methods, and scientific concepts; increase verbal, written, and graphical communication skills; and train students in the values and ethics of working with scientific data. However, it is unclear what the broader pre-service teacher preparation community is doing in preparing future teachers to promote, manage, and successful facilitate their own students in conducting authentic scientific inquiry. Surveys of undergraduates in secondary science education programs suggests that students have had almost no experiences themselves in conducting open scientific inquiry where they develop researchable questions, design strategies to pursue evidence, and communicate data-based conclusions. In response, the College of Science Teacher Preparation Program at the University of Arizona requires all students enrolled in its various science teaching methods courses to complete an open inquiry research project and defend their findings at a specially designed inquiry science mini-conference at the end of the term. End-of-term surveys show that students enjoy their research experience and believe that this experience enhances their ability to facilitate their own future students in conducting open inquiry.

Critical Science Education in a Suburban High School Chemistry Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashby, Patrick

To improve students' scientific literacy and their general perceptions of chemistry, I enacted critical chemistry education (CCE) in two "regular level" chemistry classes with a group of 25 students in a suburban, private high school as part of this study. CCE combined the efforts of critical science educators (Fusco & Calabrese Barton, 2001; Gilbert 2013) with the performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (NGSS Lead States, 2013a) to critically transform the traditional chemistry curriculum at this setting. Essentially, CCE engages students in the critical exploration of socially situated chemistry content knowledge and requires them to demonstrate this knowledge through the practices of science. The purpose of this study was to gauge these students development of chemistry content knowledge, chemistry interest, and critical scientific literacy (CSL) as they engaged in CCE. CSL was a construct developed for this study that necessarily combined the National Research Center's (2012) definition of scientific literacy with a critical component. As such, CSL entailed demonstrating content knowledge through the practices of science as well as the ability to critically analyze the intersections between science content and socially relevant issues. A mixed methods, critical ethnographic approach framed the collection of data from open-ended questionnaires, focus group interviews, Likert surveys, pre- and post unit tests, and student artifacts. These data revealed three main findings: (1) students began to develop CSL in specific, significant ways working through the activities of CCE, (2) student participants of CCE developed a comparable level of chemistry content understanding to students who participated in a traditional chemistry curriculum, and (3) CCE developed a group of students' perceptions of interest in chemistry. In addition to being able to teach students discipline specific content knowledge, the implications of this study are that CCE has the ability to affect students' critical science thinking in positive ways. However, to develop longer lasting, deeper critical insights that students use to participate in science-related issues outside of class, critical science education must be enacted longitudinally and across disciplines. Furthermore, it must be enacted in ways that either prompt or help students to transfer classroom learning outside of the classroom as they engage in critical issues in the classroom.

The enteral vs parenteral nutrition debate revisited.

PubMed

Thomson, Andrew

2008-01-01

Many trials and several meta-analyses have been devoted to comparing enteral with parenteral nutrition support. In this review, these studies are subjected to critical analysis with particular emphasis on their methodology and clinical relevance. Evidence is produced to suggest that the heterogeneous patient populations of the studies and the rigid approach taken to comparing different nutrition therapies inter alia render their conclusions highly questionable and of very doubtful clinical significance. An alternative approach to nutrition research is suggested in which strategies of nutrition support rather than fixed menus are compared. It is suggested that objective measures of intestinal function be evaluated more fully in patients requiring nonvolitional nutrition support, and these are briefly reviewed. In addition, a more scientific approach to evaluating the physiological effects of nutrition support, including chemical tagging and evaluation of muscle function, is recommended.

Increased scientific rigor will improve reliability of research and effectiveness of management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sells, Sarah N.; Bassing, Sarah B.; Barker, Kristin J.; Forshee, Shannon C.; Keever, Allison; Goerz, James W.; Mitchell, Michael S.

2018-01-01

Rigorous science that produces reliable knowledge is critical to wildlife management because it increases accurate understanding of the natural world and informs management decisions effectively. Application of a rigorous scientific method based on hypothesis testing minimizes unreliable knowledge produced by research. To evaluate the prevalence of scientific rigor in wildlife research, we examined 24 issues of the Journal of Wildlife Management from August 2013 through July 2016. We found 43.9% of studies did not state or imply a priori hypotheses, which are necessary to produce reliable knowledge. We posit that this is due, at least in part, to a lack of common understanding of what rigorous science entails, how it produces more reliable knowledge than other forms of interpreting observations, and how research should be designed to maximize inferential strength and usefulness of application. Current primary literature does not provide succinct explanations of the logic behind a rigorous scientific method or readily applicable guidance for employing it, particularly in wildlife biology; we therefore synthesized an overview of the history, philosophy, and logic that define scientific rigor for biological studies. A rigorous scientific method includes 1) generating a research question from theory and prior observations, 2) developing hypotheses (i.e., plausible biological answers to the question), 3) formulating predictions (i.e., facts that must be true if the hypothesis is true), 4) designing and implementing research to collect data potentially consistent with predictions, 5) evaluating whether predictions are consistent with collected data, and 6) drawing inferences based on the evaluation. Explicitly testing a priori hypotheses reduces overall uncertainty by reducing the number of plausible biological explanations to only those that are logically well supported. Such research also draws inferences that are robust to idiosyncratic observations and unavoidable human biases. Offering only post hoc interpretations of statistical patterns (i.e., a posteriorihypotheses) adds to uncertainty because it increases the number of plausible biological explanations without determining which have the greatest support. Further, post hocinterpretations are strongly subject to human biases. Testing hypotheses maximizes the credibility of research findings, makes the strongest contributions to theory and management, and improves reproducibility of research. Management decisions based on rigorous research are most likely to result in effective conservation of wildlife resources. 

A guide for writing in the scientific forum.

PubMed

Kotsis, Sandra V; Chung, Kevin C

2010-11-01

When considering the importance of scientific writing in disseminating new discoveries and ideas, it is quite remarkable that few physicians have received any formal instruction in this essential process. This article focuses on the fundamental principles of scientific writing that also include a "style and grace" component. The art of good scientific writing is to convey scientific materials in a clear and interesting way, while avoiding incomprehensible sentences that only serve to disguise marginal contents within the article. The goal of this article is to encourage authors and readers to critically examine the art of scientific writing to overcome the barrier to effective communication.

Becoming a scientist: A qualitative study of the educational experience of undergraduates working in an American and a Brazilian research laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascoa, Maria Beatriz Amorim

Because the production of scientific and technological innovations has been at the center of debates for economic growth, scientists are recognized as important actors in the current global market. In this study, I will examine the undergraduate education of future scientists by focusing on students working in research projects of faculty members. This research activity has been promoted by American and Brazilian public agencies as an attempt to attract more college students to scientific careers as well as to improve their future performance in science. Evaluations of these programs have focused on important quantitative indicators focusing mainly on the amount of students that later choose to pursue scientific careers. However, these studies fail to address important educational aspects of undergraduates' experience. In this research, I explore the educational processes taking place as students are introduced to the making of science in order to understand how and what they are learning. Three bodies of literature illuminates the formulation and the analysis of the research questions: (1) theories of globalization situate the education of scientists within the dynamics of a broader social, economic, cultural, and historical framework; (2) the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire is the basis for the understanding of the pedagogical processes shaping undergraduate students' experiences within the research site; (3) Critical and Cultural Studies of Science and Technology illuminate the analysis of the complex interactions and practices constructed within the laboratory. In order to understand the educational processes shaping the experiences of undergraduate students engaged in research activities, I conducted a qualitative investigation based on participant-observation and in-depth interviews in an American and a Brazilian laboratories. The two sites constituted insightful case studies that illuminated the understanding of inquires about the training of students in science. In addition, the study of two countries enriched the research inquiry, adding to the findings reflections on the ways differences in national contexts affects scientific training and scientific practices. Mainly, this qualitative research of students in laboratories offers some concrete recommendations and illuminating reflections for science educators, science policy makers, and for those working in the understanding of science epistemologies.

The Effects of Scientific Representations on Primary Students' Development of Scientific Discourse and Conceptual Understandings during Cooperative Contemporary Inquiry-Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gillies, Robyn M.; Nichols, Kim; Khan, Asaduzzaman

2015-01-01

Teaching students to use and interpret representations in science is critically important if they are to become scientifically literate and learn how to communicate their understandings and learning in science. This study involved 248 students (119 boys and 129 girls) from 26 grade 6 teachers' classes in nine primary schools in Brisbane,…

The ubiquitous reflex and its critics in post-revolutionary Russia.

PubMed

Sirotkina, Irina

2009-03-01

In the last century, the reflex was more than a scientific concept: it was a cultural idiom that could be used to various aims--political, scholarly, and artistic. In Russia in the 1920s, the reflex became a ubiquitous notion and a current word, part of the revolutionary discourse and, finally, a password to modernity. Two major factors contributed to it: physiological theories of the reflex, widespread in Russia at the early twentieth-century, and the materialist philosophy backed after the Revolution by the Communist party. Everybody who wished to be modern and materialist, in conformity with the official communist views, had to refer to reflexes. Yet, even in this period, the concept was not unproblematic and was criticized by some scientists, philosophers, artists and even Party members. In the paper, I describe both the array of uses of the term and the criticism it received in political, scientific and artistic discourses. It is not uncommon that, taking their origins in culture and common language, scientific concepts later return there in the form of metaphors. Similarly, the reflex was made into a rigorous scientific concept in the nineteenth century but, in the next century, it circulated as a cultural idiom penetrating various areas of political, artistic and academic life.

Grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations in clinical dentistry: a critical review of 2 prominent approaches.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano

2010-06-01

The objective of this article was to critically review 2 prominent approaches used to grade the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Every year much information becomes available as a result of publication of scientific papers, and clinicians should be able to assess current evidence so they, along with their patients, can make the most appropriate clinical decisions. This is particularly important when there is little or no high-quality evidence available about the subject of interest. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and the Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy (SORT) were evaluated. Strengths and weaknesses of these 2 systems are discussed, mainly on the basis of their relevance to clinical dentistry. The conclusion was that use of a system for grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations is urgently required because of the great heterogeneity of the quality and type of evidence relating to many dental procedures. Use of such a system will enable clinicians and their patients to make more informed decisions.

Executive function and academic achievement in primary - grade students with Down syndrome.

PubMed

Will, E; Fidler, D J; Daunhauer, L; Gerlach-McDonald, B

2017-02-01

Executive function (EF) plays a critical role in academic outcomes in typically developing children, but the contribution of EF to academic performance in Down syndrome (DS) is less well understood. This study evaluated differences in early academic foundations between primary school aged children with DS and non-verbal mental-age matched typically developing (TD) children. Additionally, the contribution of EF domains to academic outcomes was evaluated in each group. Participants with DS (n = 29) and mental-age matched TD participants (n = 23) were administered the Woodcock Johnson- III NU Tests of Academic Achievement, as well as a laboratory-based EF battery, including measures of working memory, shifting, inhibition and object-planning. Findings indicated a difference in early academic foundations profile between children with DS and mental-age matched TD children. Patterns of EF contributions towards academic outcomes were also observed across groups. Aspects of EF are critical to academic achievement in DS but differentially so relative to typical development. Implications for educational instruction are discussed. © 2016 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Scarcity of Orthopaedic Physician Scientists.

PubMed

Buckwalter, Joseph A; Elkins, Jacob M

2017-01-01

Breakthrough advances in medicine almost uniformly result from the translation of new basic scientific knowledge into clinical practice, rather than from assessment, modification or refinement of current methods of diagnosis and treatment. However, as is intuitively understood, those most responsible for scientific conception and creation-scientists - are generally not the ones applying these advances at the patient's bedside or the operating room, and vice versa. Recognition of the scarcity of clinicians with a background that prepares them to develop new basic knowledge, and to critically evaluate the underlying scientific basis of methods of diagnosis and treatment, has led to initiatives including federally funded Physician-Scientist programs, whereby young, motivated scholars begin a rigorous training, which encompasses education and mentorship within both medical and scientific fields, culminating in the conferment of both MD and PhD degrees. Graduates have demonstrated success in integrating science into their academic medical careers. However, for unknown reasons, orthopaedic surgery, more than other specialties, has struggled to recruit and retain physician-scientists, who possess a skill set evermore rare in today's increasingly complicated medical and scientific landscape. While the reasons for this shortfall have yet to be completely elucidated, one thing is clear: If orthopaedics is to make significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal diseases and injuries, recruitment of the very best and brightest physician-scientists to orthopaedics must become a priority. This commentary explores potential explanations for current low-recruitment success regarding future orthopaedic surgeon-scientists, and discusses avenues for resolution.

76 FR 16045 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-22

... Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of... Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for the Pacific Coast Population of the Western Snowy Plover... the best scientific and commercial data available and be as accurate and as effective as possible...

Critical Methods in Longitudinal Research with Latino Immigrant Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Díaz, Yethzèll; Denner, Jill; Ortiz, Eloy

2017-01-01

We have an ethical and a scientific imperative to do research that reflects the views and learning experiences of historically marginalized groups. Most studies that use a critical methodological approach rely on qualitative data. This article describes how a critical approach to recruitment, data collection, and retention can help to ensure that…

Swallowing sounds in speech therapy practice: a critical analysis of the literature

PubMed Central

Ferrucci, Juliana Lopes; Mangilli, Laura Davison; Sassi, Fernanda Chiarion; Limongi, Suelly Cecilia Olivan; de Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim

2013-01-01

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate international scientific papers published on the subject of cervical auscultation and its use in speech therapy. The study involved a qualitative review of the literature spanning the last 10 years. Articles were selected from the PubMed database using the following keywords: cervical auscultation, swallowing and swallowing disorders. Research was included that was conducted on adult humans (over 18 years of age) and was written in English. Each citation retrieved from the database was analyzed independently by each of the study researchers to ascertain its relevance for inclusion in the study. The methodology involved formulating the research question, locating and selecting studies and critically evaluating the articles according to the precepts of the Cochrane Handbook. As a result, 35 studies were identified; 13 articles were analyzed because they allowed access to the full text and were related directly to the subject. We found that the studies were performed with groups of healthy subjects and subjects with different types of base pathology. Some studies compared the patterns found in the different groups. Some of the research sought to study the pattern of swallowing sounds with different factors - evaluator experience, the specificity and sensitivity of the method and how to improve the technique of cervical auscultation through the use of instruments other than the stethoscope. The conclusion of this critical analysis is that cervical auscultation is an important tool to be used in conjunction with other assessment methods in the routine clinical evaluation of swallowing. PMID:24488399

Geopotential research mission, science, engineering and program summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keating, T. (Editor); Taylor, P. (Editor); Kahn, W. (Editor); Lerch, F. (Editor)

1986-01-01

This report is based upon the accumulated scientific and engineering studies pertaining to the Geopotential Research Mission (GRM). The scientific need and justification for the measurement of the Earth's gravity and magnetic fields are discussed. Emphasis is placed upon the studies and conclusions of scientific organizations and NASA advisory groups. The engineering design and investigations performed over the last 4 years are described, and a spacecraft design capable of fulfilling all scientific objectives is presented. In addition, critical features of the scientific requirements and state-of-the-art limitations of spacecraft design, mission flight performance, and data processing are discussed.

[The education of neurologists for the XXI century].

PubMed

Lana-Peixoto, M A

1993-09-01

The training of neurologists for the practice in the coming years requires deep changes in the system of medical education. It is critical for the medical student and the resident the acquisition of a broad knowledge of scientific information. But physicians must also know how to use knowledge they have accumulated from a variety of sources. They express their knowledge through abilities in the wards or in ambulatory settings in order to get an accurate diagnosis and the proper management of a particular condition. In addition to that they are expected to develop ethical attitudes toward their patients, peers and the greater society. They must be committed to work, to independent learning and to rationality. To accomplish its scholarly goals medical education has to emphasize the development of adequate personal attributes, skills and habits of mind rather than the transmission of factual information. With today's technology all the scientific information necessary for the practice of medicine is at the fingertips through computers. Memorization is therefore an absolute nonsense in teaching. A better education involves reducing the working load and the number of lecture hours providing students and residents with sufficient unscheduled time to seek out information independently and to assess their own learning. Problem-solving methods of teaching providing the formulation of multiple concurrent hypotheses, the critical analysis and evaluation of data and the application of new acquired knowledge as well as previously learned concepts to the solution of problems should be widely employed. Faculty members are guides who assist students and residents to develop analytical and critical skills.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Building effective critical care teams

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Critical care is formulated and delivered by a team. Accordingly, behavioral scientific principles relevant to teams, namely psychological safety, transactive memory and leadership, apply to critical care teams. Two experts in behavioral sciences review the impact of psychological safety, transactive memory and leadership on medical team outcomes. A clinician then applies those principles to two routine critical care paradigms: daily rounds and resuscitations. Since critical care is a team endeavor, methods to maximize teamwork should be learned and mastered by critical care team members, and especially leaders. PMID:21884639

Creativity and Criticism. The Components of Scientific Thought.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zielinski, Edward J.; Sarachine, D. Michael

1990-01-01

Presented are six activities that help to promote critical and creative student thinking. Activities include discrepant events and questioning, divergent thinking, dilemma discussions, and drawing objects from symbols. Activities can be adapted to any science discipline. (KR)

The NGEE Arctic Data Archive -- Portal for Archiving and Distributing Data and Documentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boden, Thomas A; Palanisamy, Giri; Devarakonda, Ranjeet

2014-01-01

The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE Arctic) project is committed to implementing a rigorous and high-quality data management program. The goal is to implement innovative and cost-effective guidelines and tools for collecting, archiving, and sharing data within the project, the larger scientific community, and the public. The NGEE Arctic web site is the framework for implementing these data management and data sharing tools. The open sharing of NGEE Arctic data among project researchers, the broader scientific community, and the public is critical to meeting the scientific goals and objectives of the NGEE Arctic project and critical to advancing the mission ofmore » the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Biological and Environmental (BER) Terrestrial Ecosystem Science (TES) program.« less

The challenge of identifying greenhouse gas-induced climatic change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maccracken, Michael C.

1992-01-01

Meeting the challenge of identifying greenhouse gas-induced climatic change involves three steps. First, observations of critical variables must be assembled, evaluated, and analyzed to determine that there has been a statistically significant change. Second, reliable theoretical (model) calculations must be conducted to provide a definitive set of changes for which to search. Third, a quantitative and statistically significant association must be made between the projected and observed changes to exclude the possibility that the changes are due to natural variability or other factors. This paper provides a qualitative overview of scientific progress in successfully fulfilling these three steps.

Ethics and the psychiatry journal editor: responsibilities and dilemmas.

PubMed

Greenberg, David; D Strous, Rael

2014-01-01

An array of potential ethical stumbling blocks awaits the editors of scientific journals. There are issues of particular relevance to mental health journals, and others unique to local journals with a relatively small circulation and low impact factor. The blind review system, conflict of interests, redundant publication, fraud and plagiarism, guest and ghost authorship and ghost writing, advertising, language and stigma, patient consent, and "rigging" the Impact Factor are all issues of importance. It is critical that editors are aware and informed of these important issues, and have an accessible forum for evaluating problems as they arise.

Neuroethics: the pursuit of transforming medical ethics in scientific ethics.

PubMed

Figueroa, Gustavo

2016-02-20

Ethical problems resulting from brain research have given rise to a new discipline termed neuroethics, representing a new kind of knowledge capable of discovering the neural basis for universal ethics. The article (1) tries to evaluate the contributions of neuroethics to medical ethics and its suitability to outline the foundations of universal ethics, (2) critically analyses the process of founding this universal ethic. The potential benefits of applying neuroimaging, psychopharmacology and neurotechnology have to be carefully weighed against their potential harm. In view of these questions, an intensive dialogue between neuroscience and the humanities is more necessary than ever.

Healthcare-associated infections: challenges to public health in Brazil

PubMed Central

Padoveze, Maria Clara; Fortaleza, Carlos Magno Castelo Branco

2014-01-01

This study presents a critical evaluation of the scientific literature related to this subject, aiming to assess the policies and administrative issues regarding the prevention and magnitude of healthcare-associated infections and discuss the challenges for their prevention in Brazil. The topics discussed included historical and administrative issues, challenges imposed by the characteristics of the healthcare system and the territorial dimension, laboratorial support limitations, costs, institutional culture, professional qualification, and patient engagement. It is urgent to hold a nationwide discussion among government representatives, institutions, and healthcare workers and users to overcome these challenges. PMID:26039403

Geospatial decision support systems for societal decision making

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bernknopf, R.L.

2005-01-01

While science provides reliable information to describe and understand the earth and its natural processes, it can contribute more. There are many important societal issues in which scientific information can play a critical role. Science can add greatly to policy and management decisions to minimize loss of life and property from natural and man-made disasters, to manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources, and in general, to enhance and protect our quality of life. However, the link between science and decision-making is often complicated and imperfect. Technical language and methods surround scientific research and the dissemination of its results. Scientific investigations often are conducted under different conditions, with different spatial boundaries, and in different timeframes than those needed to support specific policy and societal decisions. Uncertainty is not uniformly reported in scientific investigations. If society does not know that data exist, what the data mean, where to use the data, or how to include uncertainty when a decision has to be made, then science gets left out -or misused- in a decision making process. This paper is about using Geospatial Decision Support Systems (GDSS) for quantitative policy analysis. Integrated natural -social science methods and tools in a Geographic Information System that respond to decision-making needs can be used to close the gap between science and society. The GDSS has been developed so that nonscientists can pose "what if" scenarios to evaluate hypothetical outcomes of policy and management choices. In this approach decision makers can evaluate the financial and geographic distribution of potential policy options and their societal implications. Actions, based on scientific information, can be taken to mitigate hazards, protect our air and water quality, preserve the planet's biodiversity, promote balanced land use planning, and judiciously exploit natural resources. Applications using the GDSS have demonstrated the benefits of utilizing science for policy decisions. Investment in science reduces decision-making uncertainty and reducing that uncertainty has economic value.

Generate an Argument: An Instructional Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor; Grooms, Jonathon

2010-01-01

The Generate an Argument instructional model was designed to engage students in scientific argumentation. By using this model, students develop complex reasoning and critical-thinking skills, understand the nature and development of scientific knowledge, and improve their communication skills (Duschl and Osborne 2002). This article describes the…

Cape Wind: A Public Policy Debate for the Physical Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Shannon

2007-01-01

Since the industrial revolution, technological innovation and the application of basic scientific research have transformed society. Increasingly, critical conversations and legislation regarding national and international public policy have sophisticated scientific underpinnings. It is crucial that we prepare scientists and engineers with an…

A Model of Risk Analysis in Analytical Methodology for Biopharmaceutical Quality Control.

PubMed

Andrade, Cleyton Lage; Herrera, Miguel Angel De La O; Lemes, Elezer Monte Blanco

2018-01-01

One key quality control parameter for biopharmaceutical products is the analysis of residual cellular DNA. To determine small amounts of DNA (around 100 pg) that may be in a biologically derived drug substance, an analytical method should be sensitive, robust, reliable, and accurate. In principle, three techniques have the ability to measure residual cellular DNA: radioactive dot-blot, a type of hybridization; threshold analysis; and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quality risk management is a systematic process for evaluating, controlling, and reporting of risks that may affects method capabilities and supports a scientific and practical approach to decision making. This paper evaluates, by quality risk management, an alternative approach to assessing the performance risks associated with quality control methods used with biopharmaceuticals, using the tool hazard analysis and critical control points. This tool provides the possibility to find the steps in an analytical procedure with higher impact on method performance. By applying these principles to DNA analysis methods, we conclude that the radioactive dot-blot assay has the largest number of critical control points, followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and threshold analysis. From the analysis of hazards (i.e., points of method failure) and the associated method procedure critical control points, we conclude that the analytical methodology with the lowest risk for performance failure for residual cellular DNA testing is quantitative polymerase chain reaction. LAY ABSTRACT: In order to mitigate the risk of adverse events by residual cellular DNA that is not completely cleared from downstream production processes, regulatory agencies have required the industry to guarantee a very low level of DNA in biologically derived pharmaceutical products. The technique historically used was radioactive blot hybridization. However, the technique is a challenging method to implement in a quality control laboratory: It is laborious, time consuming, semi-quantitative, and requires a radioisotope. Along with dot-blot hybridization, two alternatives techniques were evaluated: threshold analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Quality risk management tools were applied to compare the techniques, taking into account the uncertainties, the possibility of circumstances or future events, and their effects upon method performance. By illustrating the application of these tools with DNA methods, we provide an example of how they can be used to support a scientific and practical approach to decision making and can assess and manage method performance risk using such tools. This paper discusses, considering the principles of quality risk management, an additional approach to the development and selection of analytical quality control methods using the risk analysis tool hazard analysis and critical control points. This tool provides the possibility to find the method procedural steps with higher impact on method reliability (called critical control points). Our model concluded that the radioactive dot-blot assay has the larger number of critical control points, followed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and threshold analysis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction is shown to be the better alternative analytical methodology in residual cellular DNA analysis. © PDA, Inc. 2018.

2006 critical review - health effects of fine particulate air pollution: lines that connect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

C. Arden Pope III; Douglas W. Dockery

2006-06-15

Efforts to understand and mitigate the health effects of particulate matter (PM) air pollution have a rich and interesting history. This review focuses on six substantial lines of research that have been pursued since 1997 that have helped elucidate our understanding about the effects of PM on human health. There has been substantial progress in the evaluation of PM health effects at different time-scales of exposure and in the exploration of the shape of the concentration-response function. There has also been emerging evidence of PM-related cardiovascular health effects and growing knowledge regarding interconnected general pathophysiological pathways that link PM exposuremore » with cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. Despite important gaps in scientific knowledge and continued reasons for some skepticism, a comprehensive evaluation of the research findings provides persuasive evidence that exposure to fine particulate air pollution has adverse effects on cardiopulmonary health. Although much of this research has been motivated by environmental public health policy, these results have important scientific, medical, and public health implications that are broader than debates over legally mandated air quality standards. 502 refs., 4 figs., 7 tabs.« less

The Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program: panorama of the scientific output.

PubMed

Kemper, Elisandréa Sguario; Mendonça, Ana Valeria Machado; Sousa, Maria Fátima de

2016-09-01

Despite the progress achieved by the Primary Health Care and Family Health Strategy in the Unified Health System (SUS) challenges still remain with regard to the universality of access and the quality of services, one of the factors being the unequal distribution of physicians. The Brazilian Government established the Mais Médicos Program (More Doctors Program), in order to move forward in the provision, placement and training of physicians in the SUS. This study consists of a review of the literature of the Mais Médicos Program, in order to map and assess the scientific production on the Program, as well as summarize the findings and present the results of the analysis. Fifty-four publications were selected, which evaluate the Program in terms of effectiveness, analysis of the implementation process, the media and the statements of the actors and assessment of the legal and constitutional precepts. The criticisms and limitations found were also systematically analyzed. With respect to the analysis, evaluations of the Program are overwhelmingly positive, showing important changes in the work processes in services and training. The studies that show the Program as being an important instrument for the effective implementation of the right to health are highlighted.

Simulated and Virtual Science Laboratory Experiments: Improving Critical Thinking and Higher-Order Learning Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Nicole A.

Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory experience, linking with educational technologies (Pyatt & Sims, 2007; 2011; Trundle & Bell, 2010). A causal-comparative quantitative study was conducted with 150 learners enrolled at a two-year community college, to determine the effects of simulation laboratory experiments on Higher-Order Learning, Critical Thinking Skills, and Cognitive Load. The treatment population used simulated experiments, while the non-treatment sections performed traditional expository experiments. A comparison was made using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process survey, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and the Scientific Attitude Inventory survey, using a Repeated Measures ANOVA test for treatment or non-treatment. A main effect of simulated laboratory experiments was found for both Higher-Order Learning, [F (1, 148) = 30.32,p = 0.00, eta2 = 0.12] and Critical Thinking Skills, [F (1, 148) = 14.64,p = 0.00, eta 2 = 0.17] such that simulations showed greater increases than traditional experiments. Post-lab treatment group self-reports indicated increased marginal means (+4.86) in Higher-Order Learning and Critical Thinking Skills, compared to the non-treatment group (+4.71). Simulations also improved the scientific skills and mastery of basic scientific subject matter. It is recommended that additional research recognize that learners' Critical Thinking Skills change due to different instructional methodologies that occur throughout a semester.

Evaluation of Flagging Criteria of United States Kidney Transplant Center Performance: How to Best Define Outliers?

PubMed

Schold, Jesse D; Miller, Charles M; Henry, Mitchell L; Buccini, Laura D; Flechner, Stuart M; Goldfarb, David A; Poggio, Emilio D; Andreoni, Kenneth A

2017-06-01

Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients report cards of US organ transplant center performance are publicly available and used for quality oversight. Low center performance (LP) evaluations are associated with changes in practice including reduced transplant rates and increased waitlist removals. In 2014, Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients implemented new Bayesian methodology to evaluate performance which was not adopted by Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In May 2016, CMS altered their performance criteria, reducing the likelihood of LP evaluations. Our aims were to evaluate incidence, survival rates, and volume of LP centers with Bayesian, historical (old-CMS) and new-CMS criteria using 6 consecutive program-specific reports (PSR), January 2013 to July 2015 among adult kidney transplant centers. Bayesian, old-CMS and new-CMS criteria identified 13.4%, 8.3%, and 6.1% LP PSRs, respectively. Over the 3-year period, 31.9% (Bayesian), 23.4% (old-CMS), and 19.8% (new-CMS) of centers had 1 or more LP evaluation. For small centers (<83 transplants/PSR), there were 4-fold additional LP evaluations (52 vs 13 PSRs) for 1-year mortality with Bayesian versus new-CMS criteria. For large centers (>183 transplants/PSR), there were 3-fold additional LP evaluations for 1-year mortality with Bayesian versus new-CMS criteria with median differences in observed and expected patient survival of -1.6% and -2.2%, respectively. A significant proportion of kidney transplant centers are identified as low performing with relatively small survival differences compared with expected. Bayesian criteria have significantly higher flagging rates and new-CMS criteria modestly reduce flagging. Critical appraisal of performance criteria is needed to assess whether quality oversight is meeting intended goals and whether further modifications could reduce risk aversion, more efficiently allocate resources, and increase transplant opportunities.

Hirschsprung Disease: Critical Evaluation of the Global Research Architecture Employing Scientometrics and Density-Equalizing Mapping.

PubMed

Schöffel, Norman; Gfroerer, Stefan; Rolle, Udo; Bendels, Michael H K; Klingelhöfer, Doris; Groneberg-Kloft, Beatrix

2017-04-01

Introduction  Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a congenital bowel innervation disorder that involves several clinical specialties. There is an increasing interest on the topic reflected by the number of annually published items. It is therefore difficult for a single scientist to survey all published items and to gauge their scientific importance or value. Thus, tremendous efforts were made to establish sustainable parameters to evaluate scientific work within the past decades. It was the birth of scientometrics. Materials and Methods  To quantify the global research activity in this field, a scientometric analysis was conducted. We analyzed the research output of countries, individual institutions, authors, and their collaborative networks by using the Web of Science database. Density-equalizing maps and network diagrams were employed as state of the art visualization techniques. Results  The United States is the leading country in terms of published items ( n  = 685), institutions ( n  = 347), and cooperation ( n  = 112). However, although there is dominance in quantity, the most intensive international networks between authors and institutions are not linked to the United States. By contrast, most of the European countries combine the highest impact of publications. Further analysis reveal the influence of international cooperation and associated phenomena on the research field HD. Conclusion  We conclude that the field of HD is constantly progressing. The importance of international cooperation in the scientific community is continuously growing. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Evaluation of Emerging Energy-Efficient Heterogeneous Computing Platforms for Biomolecular and Cellular Simulation Workloads

PubMed Central

Stone, John E.; Hallock, Michael J.; Phillips, James C.; Peterson, Joseph R.; Luthey-Schulten, Zaida; Schulten, Klaus

2016-01-01

Many of the continuing scientific advances achieved through computational biology are predicated on the availability of ongoing increases in computational power required for detailed simulation and analysis of cellular processes on biologically-relevant timescales. A critical challenge facing the development of future exascale supercomputer systems is the development of new computing hardware and associated scientific applications that dramatically improve upon the energy efficiency of existing solutions, while providing increased simulation, analysis, and visualization performance. Mobile computing platforms have recently become powerful enough to support interactive molecular visualization tasks that were previously only possible on laptops and workstations, creating future opportunities for their convenient use for meetings, remote collaboration, and as head mounted displays for immersive stereoscopic viewing. We describe early experiences adapting several biomolecular simulation and analysis applications for emerging heterogeneous computing platforms that combine power-efficient system-on-chip multi-core CPUs with high-performance massively parallel GPUs. We present low-cost power monitoring instrumentation that provides sufficient temporal resolution to evaluate the power consumption of individual CPU algorithms and GPU kernels. We compare the performance and energy efficiency of scientific applications running on emerging platforms with results obtained on traditional platforms, identify hardware and algorithmic performance bottlenecks that affect the usability of these platforms, and describe avenues for improving both the hardware and applications in pursuit of the needs of molecular modeling tasks on mobile devices and future exascale computers. PMID:27516922

Communicating the Science of Nasa's Maven Mission through Public Engagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, T.; Peticolas, L. M.; Wood, E. L.

2014-12-01

As education, public outreach, and communications professionals, we see the direct benefits of online outreach and other public engagement strategies in communicating complex scientific concepts. While public understanding of science and scientific literacy rates has stagnated at best, online engagement has never been more active. About 40% of Americans receive information about science and technology primarily from online sources; however, the ability to pursue enhanced learning opportunities is directly correlated with higher education and income. The MAVEN E/PO team has recognized an opportunity to bring the science of the mission to a growing, online community of engaged learners and potential supporters of future scientific research and data. We have taken a wide variety of approaches to educate the public—particularly non-traditional audiences—about a mission that is not as "sexy" as many other NASA missions, but is critical to understanding the evolution of Mars over time as part of an ongoing, long-term effort by NASA's Mars Exploration Program. We will highlight some of the tools—including online platforms—that we have used to share the science of MAVEN and will present preliminary evaluation results from our education and public outreach projects.

Optimization of Error-Bounded Lossy Compression for Hard-to-Compress HPC Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Di, Sheng; Cappello, Franck

Since today’s scientific applications are producing vast amounts of data, compressing them before storage/transmission is critical. Results of existing compressors show two types of HPC data sets: highly compressible and hard to compress. In this work, we carefully design and optimize the error-bounded lossy compression for hard-tocompress scientific data. We propose an optimized algorithm that can adaptively partition the HPC data into best-fit consecutive segments each having mutually close data values, such that the compression condition can be optimized. Another significant contribution is the optimization of shifting offset such that the XOR-leading-zero length between two consecutive unpredictable data points canmore » be maximized. We finally devise an adaptive method to select the best-fit compressor at runtime for maximizing the compression factor. We evaluate our solution using 13 benchmarks based on real-world scientific problems, and we compare it with 9 other state-of-the-art compressors. Experiments show that our compressor can always guarantee the compression errors within the user-specified error bounds. Most importantly, our optimization can improve the compression factor effectively, by up to 49% for hard-tocompress data sets with similar compression/decompression time cost.« less

A Complexity Approach to Evaluating National Scientific Systems through International Scientific Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelnio, Ryan J.

2013-01-01

This dissertation seeks to contribute to a fuller understanding of how international scientific collaboration has affected national scientific systems. It does this by developing three methodological approaches grounded in social complexity theory and applying them to the evaluation of national scientific systems. The first methodology identifies…

Assuring safety without animal testing: Unilever's ongoing research programme to deliver novel ways to assure consumer safety.

PubMed

Westmoreland, Carl; Carmichael, Paul; Dent, Matt; Fentem, Julia; MacKay, Cameron; Maxwell, Gavin; Pease, Camilla; Reynolds, Fiona

2010-01-01

Assuring consumer safety without the generation of new animal data is currently a considerable challenge. However, through the application of new technologies and the further development of risk-based approaches for safety assessment, we remain confident it is ultimately achievable. For many complex, multi-organ consumer safety endpoints, the development, evaluation and application of new, non-animal approaches is hampered by a lack of biological understanding of the underlying mechanistic processes involved. The enormity of this scientific challenge should not be underestimated. To tackle this challenge a substantial research programme was initiated by Unilever in 2004 to critically evaluate the feasibility of a new conceptual approach based upon the following key components: 1.Developing new, exposure-driven risk assessment approaches. 2.Developing new biological (in vitro) and computer-based (in silico) predictive models. 3.Evaluating the applicability of new technologies for generating data (e.g. "omics", informatics) and for integrating new types of data (e.g. systems approaches) for risk-based safety assessment. Our research efforts are focussed in the priority areas of skin allergy, cancer and general toxicity (including inhaled toxicity). In all of these areas, a long-term investment is essential to increase the scientific understanding of the underlying biology and molecular mechanisms that we believe will ultimately form a sound basis for novel risk assessment approaches. Our research programme in these priority areas consists of in-house research as well as Unilever-sponsored academic research, involvement in EU-funded projects (e.g. Sens-it-iv, Carcinogenomics), participation in cross-industry collaborative research (e.g. Colipa, EPAA) and ongoing involvement with other scientific initiatives on non-animal approaches to risk assessment (e.g. UK NC3Rs, US "Human Toxicology Project" consortium).

Taking Financial Relationships into Account When Assessing Research

PubMed Central

Resnik, David B.; Elliott, Kevin C.

2014-01-01

Many scientific journals, government agencies, and universities require disclosure of sources of funding and financial interests related to research, such as stock ownership, consulting arrangements with companies, and patents. Although disclosure has become one of the central approaches for responding to financial conflicts of interest (COIs) in research, critics contend that information about financial COIs does not serve as a reliable indicator of research credibility, and therefore, studies should be evaluated solely based on their scientific merits. We argue that, while it is indeed important to evaluate studies on their scientific merits, it is often difficult to detect significant influences of financial relationships that affect research credibility. Moreover, at least five factors can be examined to determine whether financial relationships are likely to enhance, undermine, or have no impact on the credibility of research. These include as follows: whether sponsors, institutions, or researchers have a significant financial stake in the outcome of a study; whether the financial interests of the sponsors, institutions, or researchers coincide with the goal of conducting research that is objective and reliable; whether the sponsor, institution, or researchers have a history of biasing research in order to promote their financial goals; how easy it is to manipulate the research in order to achieve financial goals; and whether oversight mechanisms are in place which are designed to minimize bias. Since these factors vary from case to case, evaluating the impact of financial relationships depends on the circumstances. In some situations, onemay decide that the financial relationships significantly undermine the study’s credibility; in others, one may decide that they have no impact on credibility or even enhance it. PMID:23672544

Language-Based Reasoning in Primary Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hackling, Mark; Sherriff, Barbara

2015-01-01

Language is critical in the mediation of scientific reasoning, higher-order thinking and the development of scientific literacy. This study investigated how an exemplary primary science teacher scaffolds and supports students' reasoning during a Year 4 materials unit. Lessons captured on video, teacher and student interviews and micro-ethnographic…

Genetically Modified (GM) Foods & Teaching Critical Thinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Vanessa S.; Tobin, Allan J.

2003-01-01

Describes instructional materials developed to address two major needs in biology education--how to form scientific opinions and providing a link between students and literature. Presents two essays, rats and potatoes and butterflies and corn, introduces students to article searching, reading peer-reviewed scientific studies, writing, critical…

Scientific Reporting: Raising the Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeroy, Kenneth R.; Garney, Whitney; Mayo-Wilson, Evan; Grant, Sean

2016-01-01

This article is based on a presentation that was made at the 2014 annual meeting of the editorial board of "Health Education & Behavior." The article addresses critical issues related to standards of scientific reporting in journals, including concerns about external and internal validity and reporting bias. It reviews current…

Promoting Scientific and Technological Literacy: Teaching Biodiesel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eilks, Ingo

2000-01-01

Describes a unit on biodiesel from a socio-critical chemistry teaching approach aimed at improving student participation and decision making. Explores the use of biodiesel (chemically changed vegetable oils), especially in Europe. The unit proved to be successful as students participated enthusiastically and social and scientific goals were…

Extreme Programming: A Kuhnian Revolution?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Northover, Mandy; Northover, Alan; Gruner, Stefan; Kourie, Gerrick G.; Boake, Andrew

This paper critically assesses the extent to which the Agile Software community's use of Thomas Kuhn's theory of revolutionary scientific change is justified. It will be argued that Kuhn's concepts of "scientific revolution" and "paradigm shift" cannot adequately explain the change from one type of software methodology to another.

Explicitly Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in a History Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLaughlin, Anne Collins; McGill, Alicia Ebbitt

2017-01-01

Critical thinking skills are often assessed via student beliefs in non-scientific ways of thinking, (e.g, pseudoscience). Courses aimed at reducing such beliefs have been studied in the STEM fields with the most successful focusing on skeptical thinking. However, critical thinking is not unique to the sciences; it is crucial in the humanities and…

Integrating research into clinical internship training bridging the science/practice gap in pediatric psychology.

PubMed

McQuaid, Elizabeth L; Spirito, Anthony

2012-03-01

Existing literature highlights a critical gap between science and practice in clinical psychology. The internship year is a "capstone experience"; training in methods of scientific evaluation should be integrated with the development of advanced clinical competencies. We provide a rationale for continued exposure to research during the clinical internship year, including, (a) critical examination and integration of the literature regarding evidence-based treatment and assessment, (b) participation in faculty-based and independent research, and (c) orientation to the science and strategy of grantsmanship. Participation in research provides exposure to new empirical models and can foster the development of applied research questions. Orientation to grantsmanship can yield an initial sense of the "business of science." Internship provides an important opportunity to examine the challenges to integrating the clinical evidence base into professional practice; for that reason, providing research exposure on internship is an important strategy in training the next generation of pediatric psychologists.

A small-molecule antagonist of CXCR4 inhibits intracranial growth of primary brain tumors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubin, Joshua B.; Kung, Andrew L.; Klein, Robyn S.; Chan, Jennifer A.; Sun, Yanping; Schmidt, Karl; Kieran, Mark W.; Luster, Andrew D.; Segal, Rosalind A.

2003-11-01

The vast majority of brain tumors in adults exhibit glial characteristics. Brain tumors in children are diverse: Many have neuronal characteristics, whereas others have glial features. Here we show that activation of the Gi protein-coupled receptor CXCR4 is critical for the growth of both malignant neuronal and glial tumors. Systemic administration of CXCR4 antagonist AMD 3100 inhibits growth of intracranial glioblastoma and medulloblastoma xenografts by increasing apoptosis and decreasing the proliferation of tumor cells. This reflects the ability of AMD 3100 to reduce the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 and Akt, all of which are pathways downstream of CXCR4 that promote survival, proliferation, and migration. These studies (i) demonstrate that CXCR4 is critical to the progression of diverse brain malignances and (ii) provide a scientific rationale for clinical evaluation of AMD 3100 in treating both adults and children with malignant brain tumors.

Rabies in the critical care unit: diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

PubMed

Jackson, Alan C

2011-09-01

Worldwide, human rabies is prevalent where there is endemic dog rabies, but the disease may present unexpectedly in critical care units when suggestive clinical features have passed. In North America transmission from bats is most common and there is often no history of a bat bite or even contact with bats. Laboratory diagnostic evaluation for rabies includes serology plus skin biopsy, cerebrospinal fluid, and saliva specimens for rabies virus antigen and/or RNA detection. Rare patients have survived rabies, and most received rabies vaccine prior to the onset of illness. Therapeutic coma (midazolam and phenobarbital), ketamine, and antiviral therapies (dubbed the "Milwaukee Protocol") were given to a rabies survivor, but this therapy was likely not directly responsible for the favorable outcome. There have been many subsequent failures of similar therapeutic approaches. There is no scientific rationale for the use of therapeutic coma in human rabies. New approaches to treating human rabies need to be developed.

Earthquake: Game-based learning for 21st century STEM education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Abigail Christine

To play is to learn. A lack of empirical research within game-based learning literature, however, has hindered educational stakeholders to make informed decisions about game-based learning for 21st century STEM education. In this study, I modified a research and development (R&D) process to create a collaborative-competitive educational board game illuminating elements of earthquake engineering. I oriented instruction- and game-design principles around 21st century science education to adapt the R&D process to develop the educational game, Earthquake. As part of the R&D, I evaluated Earthquake for empirical evidence to support the claim that game-play results in student gains in critical thinking, scientific argumentation, metacognitive abilities, and earthquake engineering content knowledge. I developed Earthquake with the aid of eight focus groups with varying levels of expertise in science education research, teaching, administration, and game-design. After developing a functional prototype, I pilot-tested Earthquake with teacher-participants (n=14) who engaged in semi-structured interviews after their game-play. I analyzed teacher interviews with constant comparison methodology. I used teachers' comments and feedback from content knowledge experts to integrate game modifications, implementing results to improve Earthquake. I added player roles, simplified phrasing on cards, and produced an introductory video. I then administered the modified Earthquake game to two groups of high school student-participants (n = 6), who played twice. To seek evidence documenting support for my knowledge claim, I analyzed videotapes of students' game-play using a game-based learning checklist. My assessment of learning gains revealed increases in all categories of students' performance: critical thinking, metacognition, scientific argumentation, and earthquake engineering content knowledge acquisition. Players in both student-groups improved mostly in critical thinking, having doubled the number of exhibited instances of critical thinking between games. Players in the first group exhibited about a third more instances of metacognition between games, while players in the second group doubled such instances. Between games, players in both groups more than doubled the number of exhibited instances of using earthquake engineering content knowledge. The student-players expanded use of scientific argumentation for all game-based learning checklist categories. With empirical evidence, I conclude play and learning can connect for successful 21 st century STEM education.

Evaluation of university scientific research ability based on the output of sci-tech papers: A D-AHP approach.

PubMed

Zong, Fan; Wang, Lifang

2017-01-01

University scientific research ability is an important indicator to express the strength of universities. In this paper, the evaluation of university scientific research ability is investigated based on the output of sci-tech papers. Four university alliances from North America, UK, Australia, and China, are selected as the case study of the university scientific research evaluation. Data coming from Thomson Reuters InCites are collected to support the evaluation. The work has contributed new framework to the issue of university scientific research ability evaluation. At first, we have established a hierarchical structure to show the factors that impact the evaluation of university scientific research ability. Then, a new MCDM method called D-AHP model is used to implement the evaluation and ranking of different university alliances, in which a data-driven approach is proposed to automatically generate the D numbers preference relations. Next, a sensitivity analysis has been given to show the impact of weights of factors and sub-factors on the evaluation result. At last, the results obtained by using different methods are compared and discussed to verify the effectiveness and reasonability of this study, and some suggestions are given to promote China's scientific research ability.

Threats to desert tortoise populations: a critical review of the literature

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boarman, William I.

2002-01-01

Decision in resource management are generally based on a combination of sociopolitical, economic, and environmental factors, and may be biased by personal values. These three components often contradict each other resulting in controversy. Controversies can usually be reduced when solid scientific evidence is used to support or refute a decision. However, it is important to recognize that data often do little to alter antagonists' positions when differences in values are the bases if the dispute. But, supporting data can make the decision more defensible, both legally and ethically, especially if the data supporting all opposing viewpoints are included in the decision-making process. Resource management decisions must be made using the best scientific information currently available. However, scientific data vary in two important measures of quality: reliability and validity. The reliability of the data is a measure of the degree to which the observations or conclusion can be repeated. Validity of the data is a measure of the degree to which the observation or conclusion reflects what actually occurs in nature. How the data are collected strongly affects the reliability of validity of ecological conclusions that can be made. Research data potentially relevant to management come from different sources, and the source often provides clues to the reliability and, to a certain extent, validity of data. Understanding the quality of data being used to make management decisions helps to separate the philosophical or value-based aspects of arguments from the objective ones, thus helping to clarify the decisions and judgments that need to be made. The West Mojave Plan is a multispecies, bioregional plan for the management of natural resources within a 9.4 million-acre area of the Mojave Desert in California. The plan addresses the legal requirements for the recovery of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agazzizii), a threatened species, but also covers an additional approximately 80 species of plants and animals assigned special status by the Bureau of Land Management, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and California Department of Fish and Game. Within the planning area, 28 separate jurisdictions (counties, cities, towns, military installations, etc.) seek programmatic prescriptions that will facilitate streamlined environmental review, result in expedited authorization for development projects, and protect listed and unlisted species into the foreseeable future to avoid or minimize conflicts between proposed development and species' conservation and recovery. All of the scientific data available concerning the biology and management of these approximately 80 species and their habitats must be evaluated to develop a scientifically credible plan. This document provides an overview and evaluation of the knowledge of the major threats to the persistence and recovery of desert tortoise populations. I was specifically asked to evaluate the scientific veracity of the data and reports available. I summarize the data presently available with particular focus on the West Mojave Desert, evaluate the scientific integrity of the data. and identify major gaps in the available knowledge. I do not attempt to provide in-depth details on each study or threat; for more details I encourage the reader to consult the individual papers or reports city throughout this report (many of which are available at most university libraries and at the West Mojave Plan office in Riverside, California). I also do not attempt to characterize or evaluate the past or present management actions, except where they have direct bearing on evaluation of threats, nor do I attempt, for the most part, to acquire, generate, or evaluate new or existing, but uninterpreted data.

Science-based decision-making on complex issues: Marcellus shale gas hydrofracking and New York City water supply.

PubMed

Eaton, Timothy T

2013-09-01

Complex scientific and non-scientific considerations are central to the pending decisions about "hydrofracking" or high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) to exploit unconventional natural gas resources worldwide. While incipient plans are being made internationally for major shale reservoirs, production and technology are most advanced in the United States, particularly in Texas and Pennsylvania, with a pending decision in New York State whether to proceed. In contrast to the narrow scientific and technical debate to date, focused on either greenhouse gas emissions or water resources, toxicology and land use in the watersheds that supply drinking water to New York City (NYC), I review the scientific and technical aspects in combination with global climate change and other critical issues in energy tradeoffs, economics and political regulation to evaluate the major liabilities and benefits. Although potential benefits of Marcellus natural gas exploitation are large for transition to a clean energy economy, at present the regulatory framework in New York State is inadequate to prevent potentially irreversible threats to the local environment and New York City water supply. Major investments in state and federal regulatory enforcement will be required to avoid these environmental consequences, and a ban on drilling within the NYC water supply watersheds is appropriate, even if more highly regulated Marcellus gas production is eventually permitted elsewhere in New York State. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Climate change adaptation under uncertainty in the developing world: A case study of sea level rise in Kiribati

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donner, S. D.; Webber, S.

2011-12-01

Climate change is expected to have the greatest impact in parts of the developing world. At the 2010 meeting of U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun, industrialized countries agreed in principle to provide US$100 billion per year by 2020 to assist the developing world respond to climate change. This "Green Climate Fund" is a critical step towards addressing the challenge of climate change. However, the policy and discourse on supporting adaptation in the developing world remains highly idealized. For example, the efficacy of "no regrets" adaptation efforts or "mainstreaming" adaptation into decision-making are rarely evaluated in the real world. In this presentation, I will discuss the gap between adaptation theory and practice using a multi-year case study of the cultural, social and scientific obstacles to adapting to sea level rise in the Pacific atoll nation of Kiribati. Our field research reveals how scientific and institutional uncertainty can limit international efforts to fund adaptation and lead to spiraling costs. Scientific uncertainty about hyper-local impacts of sea level rise, though irreducible, can at times limit decision-making about adaptation measures, contrary to the notion that "good" decision-making practices can incorporate scientific uncertainty. Efforts to improve institutional capacity must be done carefully, or they risk inadvertently slowing the implementation of adaptation measures and increasing the likelihood of "mal"-adaptation.

Conventionalism and Methodological Standards in Contending with Skepticism about Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brumble, K. C.

2012-12-01

What it means to measure and interpret confidence and uncertainty in a result is often particular to a specific scientific community and its methodology of verification. Additionally, methodology in the sciences varies greatly across disciplines and scientific communities. Understanding the accuracy of predictions of a particular science thus depends largely upon having an intimate working knowledge of the methods, standards, and conventions utilized and underpinning discoveries in that scientific field. Thus, valid criticism of scientific predictions and discoveries must be conducted by those who are literate in the field in question: they must have intimate working knowledge of the methods of the particular community and of the particular research under question. The interpretation and acceptance of uncertainty is one such shared, community-based convention. In the philosophy of science, this methodological and community-based way of understanding scientific work is referred to as conventionalism. By applying the conventionalism of historian and philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn to recent attacks upon methods of multi-proxy mean temperature reconstructions, I hope to illuminate how climate skeptics and their adherents fail to appreciate the need for community-based fluency in the methodological standards for understanding uncertainty shared by the wider climate science community. Further, I will flesh out a picture of climate science community standards of evidence and statistical argument following the work of philosopher of science Helen Longino. I will describe how failure to appreciate the conventions of professionalism and standards of evidence accepted in the climate science community results in the application of naïve falsification criteria. Appeal to naïve falsification in turn has allowed scientists outside the standards and conventions of the mainstream climate science community to consider themselves and to be judged by climate skeptics as valid critics of particular statistical reconstructions with naïve and misapplied methodological criticism. Examples will include the skeptical responses to multi-proxy mean temperature reconstructions and congressional hearings criticizing the work of Michael Mann et al.'s Hockey Stick.

The use of scientific direct instruction model with video learning of ethnoscience to improve students’ critical thinking skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudarmin, S.; Mursiti, S.; Asih, A. G.

2018-04-01

In this disruption era, students are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills and important cultural conservation characters. Student's thinking skill in chemistry learning has not been developed because learning chemistry in schools still uses teacher-centered, lecture method, is less interesting and does not utilize local culture as a learning resource. The purpose of this research is to know the influence of the application of direct Instruction (DI) model with video learning of ethnoscience on the improvement of students’ critical thinking skills. This study was experimental research. The population was the students from class XI MIPA MA Negeri Gombong with the sample chosen by purposive random sampling. The material of local wisdom as the study of ethnosciences which was the focus of the research was the production of genting, dawet, lanting, and sempor reservoirs which is integrated with colloidal chemical contents. The learning video of ethnoscience before being applied was validated by experts. Students’ critical thinking skills were revealed through the concept of conceptualizing test instruments. The data analysis technique used was the test of proportion and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The results of this study suggested that the experimental class that was treated by scientific direct instruction model with the learning video of ethnoscience shows cognitive learning and critical thinking which were better than the control class. Besides, the students indicated their interest in the application of scientific direct instruction model with ethnoscience learning video.

Constructed vs. received graphical representations for learning about scientific controversy: Implications for learning and coaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavalli-Sforza, Violetta Laura Maria

Students in science classes hardly ever study scientific controversy, especially in terms of the different types of arguments used to support and criticize theories and hypotheses. Yet, learning the reasons for scientific debate and scientific change is an important part of appreciating the nature of the scientific enterprise and communicating it to the non-scientific world. This dissertation explores the usefulness of graphical representations in teaching students about scientific arguments. Subjects participating in an extended experiment studied instructional materials and used the Belvedere graphical interface to analyze texts drawn from an actual scientific debate. In one experimental condition, subjects used a box-and-arrow representation whose primitive graphical elements had preassigned meanings tailored to the domain of instruction. In the other experimental condition, subjects could use the graphical elements as they wished, thereby creating their own representation. The development of a representation, by forcing a deeper analysis, can potentially yield a greater understanding of the domain under study. The results of the research suggest two conclusions. From the perspective of learning target concepts, asking subjects to develop their own representation may not hurt those subjects who gain a sufficient understanding of the possibilities of abstract representation. The risks are much greater for less able subjects because, if they develop a representation that is inadequate for expressing the target concepts, they will use those concepts less or not at all. From the perspective of coaching subjects as they diagram their analysis of texts, a predefined representation has significant advantages. If it is appropriately expressive for the task, it provides a common language and clearer shared meaning between the subject and the coach. It also enables the coach to understand subjects' analysis more easily, and to evaluate it more effectively against the coach's own model of the ideal analysis.

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY98

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hansen, T.; Chartock, M.

1999-02-05

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL or Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1998 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the supported projects and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The LBNL LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory's forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program providesmore » the resources for LBNL scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances LBNL's core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. All projects are work in forefront areas of science and technology. Areas eligible for support include the following: Advanced study of hypotheses, concepts, or innovative approaches to scientific or technical problems; Experiments and analyses directed toward ''proof of principle'' or early determination of the utility of new scientific ideas, technical concepts, or devices; and Conception and preliminary technical analyses of experimental facilities or devices.« less

Why I teach the controversy: using creationism to teach critical thinking

PubMed Central

Honey, P. Lynne

2015-01-01

Creationism and intelligent design are terms used to describe supernatural explanations for the origin of life, and the diversity of species on this planet. Many scientists have argued that the science classroom is no place for discussion of creationism. When I began teaching I did not teach creationism, as I focused instead on my areas of expertise. Over time it became clear that students had questions about creationism, and did not understand the difference between a scientific approach to knowledge and non-scientific approaches. This led me to wonder whether ignoring supernatural views allowed them to remain as viable “alternatives” to scientific hypotheses, in the minds of students. Also, a psychology class is an ideal place to discuss not only the scientific method but also the cognitive errors associated with non-science views. I began to explain creationism in my classes, and to model the scientific thought process that leads to a rejection of creationism. My approach is consistent with research that demonstrates that teaching content alone is insufficient for students to develop critical thinking and my admittedly anecdotal experience leads me to conclude that “teaching the controversy” has benefits for science students. PMID:26136700

An evaluative model of system performance in manned teleoperational systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, Richard F.

1989-01-01

Manned teleoperational systems are used in aerospace operations in which humans must interact with machines remotely. Manual guidance of remotely piloted vehicles, controling a wind tunnel, carrying out a scientific procedure remotely are examples of teleoperations. A four input parameter throughput (Tp) model is presented which can be used to evaluate complex, manned, teleoperations-based systems and make critical comparisons among candidate control systems. The first two parameters of this model deal with nominal (A) and off-nominal (B) predicted events while the last two focus on measured events of two types, human performance (C) and system performance (D). Digital simulations showed that the expression A(1-B)/C+D) produced the greatest homogeneity of variance and distribution symmetry. Results from a recently completed manned life science telescience experiment will be used to further validate the model. Complex, interacting teleoperational systems may be systematically evaluated using this expression much like a computer benchmark is used.

Interview with Janet Woodcock.

PubMed

Woodcock, Janet

2010-09-01

Dr Janet Woodcock is the Director of the US FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Dr Woodcock has held various positions within the FDA's Office of the Commissioner from October 2003 until 1 April 2008, as Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer, Deputy Commissioner for Operations and Chief Operating Officer and Director of the Critical Path Programs. She oversaw scientific and medical regulatory operations for the FDA. Dr Woodcock served as Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA from 1994 to 2005. She previously served in other positions at the FDA, including Director of the Office of Therapeutics Research and Review and Acting Deputy Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Dr Woodcock received her MD from Northwestern Medical School (IL, USA), and completed further training and held teaching appointments at the Pennsylvania State University (PA, USA) and the University of California in San Francisco (CA, USA). She joined the FDA in 1986.

Rocks, Landforms, and Landscapes vs. Words, Sentences, and Paragraphs: An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to Teaching the Tie Between Scientific Literacy and Inquiry-based Writing in a Community College's Geoscience Program and a University's' Geoscience Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thweatt, A. M.; Giardino, J. R.; Schroeder, C.

2014-12-01

Scientific literacy and inquiry-based writing go together like a hand and glove. Science literacy, defined by NRC in The NSF Standards, stresses the relationship between knowledge of science and skill in literacy so "a person can ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences. It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena. Scientific literacy entails being able to read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions. Scientific literacy implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed." A growing body of research and practice in science instruction suggests language is essential in the practice of the geosciences. Writing and critical thinking are iterative processes. We use this approach to educate our geoscience students to learn, write, and think critically. One does not become an accomplished writer via one course. Proficiency is gained through continued exposure, guidance and tailored assignments. Inquiry-based geoscience makes students proficient in the tools of the geosciences and to develop explanations to questions about Earth events. We have scaffolded our courses from introductory geology, English composition, writing in the geosciences, introduction to field methods and report writing to do more critical thinking, research data gatherings, and in-depth analysis and synthesis. These learning experiences that encourage students to compare their reasoning models, communicate verbally, written and graphically. The English composition course sets the stage for creative assignments through formulation of original research questions, collection of primary data, analysis, and construction of written research papers. Proper use of language allows students to clarify their ideas, make claims, present arguments, and record and present findings. Students have acquired the skills to be considered scientifically literate and capable of learning. A poster demonstrating the tie between Scientific Literacy and Inquiry-Based Writing has been produced and distributed widely around campus.

Data Sharing and Scientific Impact in Eddy Covariance Research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bond-Lamberty, B.

Do the benefits of data sharing outweigh its perceived costs? This is a critical question, and one with the potential to change culture and behavior. Dai et al. (2018) examine how data sharing is related to scientific impact in the field of eddy covariance (EC), and find that data sharers are disproportionately high-impact researchers, and vice versa; they also note strong regional differences in EC data sharing norms. The current policies and restrictions of EC journals and repositories are highly uneven. Incentivizing data sharing and enhancing computational reproducibility are critical next steps for EC, ecology, and science more broadly.

Planetary astronomy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, David; Hunten, Donald; Ahearn, Michael F.; Belton, Michael J. S.; Black, David; Brown, Robert A.; Brown, Robert Hamilton; Cochran, Anita L.; Cruikshank, Dale P.; Depater, Imke

1991-01-01

The authors profile the field of astronomy, identify some of the key scientific questions that can be addressed during the decade of the 1990's, and recommend several facilities that are critically important for answering these questions. Scientific opportunities for the 1990' are discussed. Areas discussed include protoplanetary disks, an inventory of the solar system, primitive material in the solar system, the dynamics of planetary atmospheres, planetary rings and ring dynamics, the composition and structure of the atmospheres of giant planets, the volcanoes of IO, and the mineralogy of the Martian surface. Critical technology developments, proposed projects and facilities, and recommendations for research and facilities are discussed.

[Considerations on the use of meta-analyses in the orientation of knowledge and decisions in Occupational Medicine].

PubMed

Catalani, Simona; Berra, Alessandro; Tomasi, Cesare; Romano, Canzio; Pira, Enrico; Garzaro, Giacomo; Apostoli, Pietro

2015-01-01

In recent years, due to the need to elaborate the amount of information available from the scientific literature, the meta-analyses and systematic reviews have become very numerous. The meta-analyses are carried out to evaluate the association between two events when single researches haven't provided comprehensive data. On the other hand, a good meta-analysis must satisfy certain criteria, from the selection of the studies until the evaluation of the outcomes; to this purpose, the application of methods for quality assessment is a crucial point to obtain data of adequate reliability. The aim of this review is to give some introductory tools for a critical approach to meta-analyses and systematic reviews, which have become useful instruments also in occupational medicine.

A critical assessment of regulatory triggers for products of biotechnology: Product vs. process

PubMed Central

McHughen, Alan

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Regulatory policies governing the safety of genetic engineering (rDNA) and the resulting products (GMOs) have been contentious and divisive, especially in agricultural applications of the technologies. These tensions led to vastly different approaches to safety regulation in different jurisdictions, even though the intent of regulations—to assure public and environmental safety—are common worldwide, and even though the international scientific communities agree on the basic principles of risk assessment and risk management. So great are the political divisions that jurisdictions cannot even agree on the appropriate triggers for regulatory capture, whether product or process. This paper reviews the historical policy and scientific implications of agricultural biotechnology regulatory approaches taken by the European Union, USA and Canada, using their respective statutes and regulations, and then critically assesses the scientific underpinnings of each. PMID:27813691

A critical assessment of regulatory triggers for products of biotechnology: Product vs. process.

PubMed

McHughen, Alan

2016-10-01

Regulatory policies governing the safety of genetic engineering (rDNA) and the resulting products (GMOs) have been contentious and divisive, especially in agricultural applications of the technologies. These tensions led to vastly different approaches to safety regulation in different jurisdictions, even though the intent of regulations-to assure public and environmental safety-are common worldwide, and even though the international scientific communities agree on the basic principles of risk assessment and risk management. So great are the political divisions that jurisdictions cannot even agree on the appropriate triggers for regulatory capture, whether product or process. This paper reviews the historical policy and scientific implications of agricultural biotechnology regulatory approaches taken by the European Union, USA and Canada, using their respective statutes and regulations, and then critically assesses the scientific underpinnings of each.

An Integrative Review of Scientific Evidence for Reconnective Healing

PubMed Central

Trent, Natalie L.

2017-01-01

Abstract Background: Biofield therapies offer a novel, non-invasive approach to treating chronic diseases based on assessing and adjusting an individual's physiological and emotional responses through their bio-energetic field. Reconnective Healing™ (RH) is defined as: “…not just energy healing, but instead a more comprehensive spectrum of healing composed of energy, light, and information.” Objectives: Several biofield therapies, such as Reiki, Therapeutic Touch and Johrei, have already been reviewed in the literature but RH has received little attention even though it is taught and practiced worldwide. This review provides a critical assessment of RH as a healing modality. Methods: Scientific research articles published in peer-reviewed journals addressing RH were identified using relevant databases and archives. Information was extracted from each article that met selection criteria for evaluation of quality of reporting and design. This review summarizes and critically evaluates the five currently published peer-reviewed research papers involving RH and assesses whether RH provides consistent physiological outcomes between the studies. Results: These results, taken together, suggest: (i) exposure of a healer or healee to RH, either directly or indirectly, amplifies their degree of autonomic arousal and energy, (ii) RH can reduce pain and improve range of motion in people with shoulder limitations, and (iii) when individuals experience RH as a group, their autonomic nervous systems simultaneously show sudden similar responses consistent with the idea that RH is mitigated by entrainment of biofields. Conclusions: Since these studies are extremely varied in design it is not possible at this point to reach conclusions about the general effectiveness of RH. More clinical and physiological research performed on different populations under a range of conditions is needed in order to support this healthcare approach. PMID:28654301

Critical Field Experiments on Uses of Scientific and Technical Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubenstein, Albert H.; And Others

Research in the field of "information-seeking behavior of scientists and engineers" has been done on the behavior and preferences of researchers with respect to technical literature, computer-based information systems, and other scientific and technical information (STI) systems and services. The objectives of this project are: (1) to…

A Writing-Intensive, Methods-Based Laboratory Course for Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colabroy, Keri L.

2011-01-01

Engaging undergraduate students in designing and executing original research should not only be accompanied by technique training but also intentional instruction in the critical analysis and writing of scientific literature. The course described here takes a rigorous approach to scientific reading and writing using primary literature as the model…

Editorial: a scientifically rigorous and user-friendly Rangeland Ecology & Management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rangeland Ecology and Management (REM) is the premier journal for communication of science-based knowledge and for fostering both innovation and rigor in our stewardship of the world’s rangelands. REM is critical to the mission of the Society for Range Management and has had increasing scientific im...

Scientific Inquiry, Digital Literacy, and Mobile Computing in Informal Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marty, Paul F.; Alemanne, Nicole D.; Mendenhall, Anne; Maurya, Manisha; Southerland, Sherry A.; Sampson, Victor; Douglas, Ian; Kazmer, Michelle M.; Clark, Amanda; Schellinger, Jennifer

2013-01-01

Understanding the connections between scientific inquiry and digital literacy in informal learning environments is essential to furthering students' critical thinking and technology skills. The Habitat Tracker project combines a standards-based curriculum focused on the nature of science with an integrated system of online and mobile computing…

Introduction, Chapter 1

Treesearch

L.H. Pardo; C.T. Driscoll; C.L. Goodale

2011-01-01

This publication provides a scientific synthesis of the current state of research and knowledge about the response of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to nitrogen (N) inputs (N deposition or N additions), and, where possible, identifi es critical loads for atmospheric N deposition. It also targets policy makers and resource managers who are seeking a scientific basis...

Government Increases Reliance on Universities to Detect and Probe Fraud by Own Researchers; Critics Are Wary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, David L.

1987-01-01

University administrators are expected by federal agencies to detect, investigate, and judge scientific fraud and misconduct on their campuses. Both National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health place primary responsibility on universities for spotting cases of scientific misconduct. (MLW)

Variations on a Simple Dice Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heafner, Joe

2018-01-01

I begin my introductory astronomy course with a unit on critical thinking that focuses on, among other things, the differences between the "scientific method" as frequently presented in textbooks and actual scientific practice. One particular classroom activity uses a simple dice game to simulate observation of a natural phenomenon and…

Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) Project Strategy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bader, D.

The E3SM project will assert and maintain an international scientific leadership position in the development of Earth system and climate models at the leading edge of scientific knowledge and computational capabilities. With its collaborators, it will demonstrate its leadership by using these models to achieve the goal of designing, executing, and analyzing climate and Earth system simulations that address the most critical scientific questions for the nation and DOE.

Attenuation of Storm Surge Flooding By Wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay: An Integrated Geospatial Framework Evaluating Impacts to Critical Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khalid, A.; Haddad, J.; Lawler, S.; Ferreira, C.

2014-12-01

Areas along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are extremely vulnerable to hurricane flooding, as evidenced by the costly effects and severe impacts of recent storms along the Virginia coast, such as Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Coastal wetlands, in addition to their ecological importance, are expected to mitigate the impact of storm surge by acting as a natural protection against hurricane flooding. Quantifying such interactions helps to provide a sound scientific basis to support planning and decision making. Using storm surge flooding from various historical hurricanes, simulated using a coupled hydrodynamic wave model (ADCIRC-SWAN), we propose an integrated framework yielding a geospatial identification of the capacity of Chesapeake Bay wetlands to protect critical infrastructure. Spatial identification of Chesapeake Bay wetlands is derived from the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI), National Land Cover Database (NLCD), and the Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). Inventories of population and critical infrastructure are extracted from US Census block data and FEMA's HAZUS-Multi Hazard geodatabase. Geospatial and statistical analyses are carried out to develop a relationship between wetland land cover, hurricane flooding, population and infrastructure vulnerability. These analyses result in the identification and quantification of populations and infrastructure in flooded areas that lie within a reasonable buffer surrounding the identified wetlands. Our analysis thus produces a spatial perspective on the potential for wetlands to attenuate hurricane flood impacts in critical areas. Statistical analysis will support hypothesis testing to evaluate the benefits of wetlands from a flooding and storm-surge attenuation perspective. Results from geospatial analysis are used to identify where interactions with critical infrastructure are relevant in the Chesapeake Bay.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goodman, Julie, E-mail: jgoodman@gradientcorp.com

Background: The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently developed a framework for evaluating mechanistic evidence that includes a list of 10 key characteristics of carcinogens. This framework is useful for identifying and organizing large bodies of literature on carcinogenic mechanisms, but it lacks sufficient guidance for conducting evaluations that fully integrate mechanistic evidence into hazard assessments. Objectives: We summarize the framework, and suggest approaches to strengthen the evaluation of mechanistic evidence using this framework. Discussion: While the framework is useful for organizing mechanistic evidence, its lack of guidance for implementation limits its utility for understanding human carcinogenic potential.more » Specifically, it does not include explicit guidance for evaluating the biological significance of mechanistic endpoints, inter- and intra-individual variability, or study quality and relevance. It also does not explicitly address how mechanistic evidence should be integrated with other realms of evidence. Because mechanistic evidence is critical to understanding human cancer hazards, we recommend that IARC develop transparent and systematic guidelines for the use of this framework so that mechanistic evidence will be evaluated and integrated in a robust manner, and concurrently with other realms of evidence, to reach a final human cancer hazard conclusion. Conclusions: IARC does not currently provide a standardized approach to evaluating mechanistic evidence. Incorporating the recommendations discussed here will make IARC analyses of mechanistic evidence more transparent, and lead to assessments of cancer hazards that reflect the weight of the scientific evidence and allow for scientifically defensible decision-making. - Highlights: • IARC has a revised framework for evaluating literature on carcinogenic mechanisms. • The framework is based on 10 key characteristics of carcinogens. • IARC should develop transparent and systematic guidelines for using the framework. • It should better address biological significance, study quality, and relevance. • It should better address integrating mechanistic evidence with other evidence.« less

Development and Evaluation of the Tigriopus Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience: Impacts on Students’ Content Knowledge, Attitudes, and Motivation in a Majors Introductory Biology Course

PubMed Central

Olimpo, Jeffrey T.; Fisher, Ginger R.; DeChenne-Peters, Sue Ellen

2016-01-01

Within the past decade, course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have emerged as a viable mechanism to enhance novices’ development of scientific reasoning and process skills in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Recent evidence within the bioeducation literature suggests that student engagement in such experiences not only increases their appreciation for and interest in scientific research but also enhances their ability to “think like a scientist.” Despite these critical outcomes, few studies have objectively explored CURE versus non-CURE students’ development of content knowledge, attitudes, and motivation in the discipline, particularly among nonvolunteer samples. To address these concerns, we adopted a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the aforementioned outcomes following implementation of a novel CURE in an introductory cell/molecular biology course. Results indicate that CURE participants exhibited more expert-like outcomes on these constructs relative to their non-CURE counterparts, including in those areas related to self-efficacy, self-determination, and problem-solving strategies. Furthermore, analysis of end-of-term survey data suggests that select features of the CURE, such as increased student autonomy and collaboration, mediate student learning and enjoyment. Collectively, this research provides novel insights into the benefits achieved as a result of CURE participation and can be used to guide future development and evaluation of authentic research opportunities. PMID:27909022

Bridging Research and Environmental Regulatory Processes: The Role of Knowledge Brokers

PubMed Central

Pennell, Kelly G.; Thompson, Marcella; Rice, James W.; Senier, Laura; Brown, Phil; Suuberg, Eric

2013-01-01

Federal funding agencies increasingly require research investigators to ensure that federally-sponsored research demonstrates broader societal impact. Specifically, the National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) requires research centers to include research translation and community engagement cores to achieve broader impacts, with special emphasis on improving environmental health policies through better scientific understanding. This paper draws on theoretical insights from the social sciences to show how incorporating knowledge brokers in research centers can facilitate translation of scientific expertise to influence regulatory processes and thus promote public health. Knowledge brokers connect academic researchers with decision-makers, to facilitate the translation of research findings into policies and programs. In this article, we describe the stages of the regulatory process and highlight the role of the knowledge broker and scientific expert at each stage. We illustrate the cooperation of knowledge brokers, scientific experts and policymakers using a case from the Brown University (Brown) SRP. We show how the Brown SRP incorporated knowledge brokers to engage scientific experts with regulatory officials around the emerging public health problem of vapor intrusion. In the Brown SRP, the knowledge broker brought regulatory officials into the research process, to help scientific experts understand the critical nature of this emerging public health threat, and helped scientific experts develop a research agenda that would inform the development of timely measures to protect public health. Our experience shows that knowledge brokers can enhance the impact of environmental research on public health by connecting policy decision-makers with scientific experts at critical points throughout the regulatory process. PMID:24083557

Enhancing endorsement of scientific inquiry increases support for pro-environment policies.

PubMed

Drummond, Aaron; Palmer, Matthew A; Sauer, James D

2016-09-01

Pro-environment policies require public support and engagement, but in countries such as the USA, public support for pro-environment policies remains low. Increasing public scientific literacy is unlikely to solve this, because increased scientific literacy does not guarantee increased acceptance of critical environmental issues (e.g. that climate change is occurring). We distinguish between scientific literacy (basic scientific knowledge) and endorsement of scientific inquiry (perceiving science as a valuable way of accumulating knowledge), and examine the relationship between people's endorsement of scientific inquiry and their support for pro-environment policy. Analysis of a large, publicly available dataset shows that support for pro-environment policies is more strongly related to endorsement of scientific inquiry than to scientific literacy among adolescents. An experiment demonstrates that a brief intervention can increase support for pro-environment policies via increased endorsement of scientific inquiry among adults. Public education about the merits of scientific inquiry may facilitate increased support for pro-environment policies.

Enhancing endorsement of scientific inquiry increases support for pro-environment policies

PubMed Central

Palmer, Matthew A.; Sauer, James D.

2016-01-01

Pro-environment policies require public support and engagement, but in countries such as the USA, public support for pro-environment policies remains low. Increasing public scientific literacy is unlikely to solve this, because increased scientific literacy does not guarantee increased acceptance of critical environmental issues (e.g. that climate change is occurring). We distinguish between scientific literacy (basic scientific knowledge) and endorsement of scientific inquiry (perceiving science as a valuable way of accumulating knowledge), and examine the relationship between people's endorsement of scientific inquiry and their support for pro-environment policy. Analysis of a large, publicly available dataset shows that support for pro-environment policies is more strongly related to endorsement of scientific inquiry than to scientific literacy among adolescents. An experiment demonstrates that a brief intervention can increase support for pro-environment policies via increased endorsement of scientific inquiry among adults. Public education about the merits of scientific inquiry may facilitate increased support for pro-environment policies. PMID:27703700

Critical neuroscience—or critical science? A perspective on the perceived normative significance of neuroscience

PubMed Central

Schleim, Stephan

2014-01-01

Members of the Critical Neuroscience initiative raised the question whether the perceived normative significance of neuroscience is justified by the discipline’s actual possibilities. In this paper I show how brain research was assigned the ultimate political, social, and moral authority by some leading researchers who suggested that neuroscientists should change their research priorities, promising solutions to social challenges in order to increase research funds. Discussing the two examples of cognitive enhancement and the neuroscience of (im)moral behavior I argue that there is indeed a gap between promises and expectations on the one hand and knowledge and applications on the other. However it would be premature to generalize this to the neurosciences at large, whose knowledge-producing, innovative, and economic potentials have just recently been confirmed by political and scientific decision-makers with the financial support for the Human Brain Project and the BRAIN Initiative. Finally, I discuss two explanations for the analyzed communication patterns and argue why Critical Neuroscience is necessary, but not sufficient. A more general Critical Science movement is required to improve the scientific incentive system. PMID:24904376

Scientific Research: Commodities or Commons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vermeir, Koen

2013-10-01

Truth is for sale today, some critics claim. The increased commodification of science corrupts it, scientific fraud is rampant and the age-old trust in science is shattered. This cynical view, although gaining in prominence, does not explain very well the surprising motivation and integrity that is still central to the scientific life. Although scientific knowledge becomes more and more treated as a commodity or as a product that is for sale, a central part of academic scientific practice is still organized according to different principles. In this paper, I critically analyze alternative models for understanding the organization of knowledge, such as the idea of the scientific commons and the gift economy of science. After weighing the diverse positive and negative aspects of free market economies of science and gift economies of science, a commons structured as a gift economy seems best suited to preserve and take advantage of the specific character of scientific knowledge. Furthermore, commons and gift economies promote the rich social texture that is important for supporting central norms of science. Some of these basic norms might break down if the gift character of science is lost. To conclude, I consider the possibility and desirability of hybrid economies of academic science, which combine aspects of gift economies and free market economies. The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of these deeper structural challenges faced by science policy. Such theoretical reflections should eventually assist us in formulating new policy guidelines.

Evaluation of university scientific research ability based on the output of sci-tech papers: A D-AHP approach

PubMed Central

Wang, Lifang

2017-01-01

University scientific research ability is an important indicator to express the strength of universities. In this paper, the evaluation of university scientific research ability is investigated based on the output of sci-tech papers. Four university alliances from North America, UK, Australia, and China, are selected as the case study of the university scientific research evaluation. Data coming from Thomson Reuters InCites are collected to support the evaluation. The work has contributed new framework to the issue of university scientific research ability evaluation. At first, we have established a hierarchical structure to show the factors that impact the evaluation of university scientific research ability. Then, a new MCDM method called D-AHP model is used to implement the evaluation and ranking of different university alliances, in which a data-driven approach is proposed to automatically generate the D numbers preference relations. Next, a sensitivity analysis has been given to show the impact of weights of factors and sub-factors on the evaluation result. At last, the results obtained by using different methods are compared and discussed to verify the effectiveness and reasonability of this study, and some suggestions are given to promote China’s scientific research ability. PMID:28212446

The MODIS Aerosol Algorithm: Critical Evaluation and Plans for Collection 6

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Remer, Lorraine

2010-01-01

For ten years the MODIS aerosol algorithm has been applied to measured MODIS radiances to produce a continuous set of aerosol products, over land and ocean. The MODIS aerosol products are widely used by the scientific and applied science communities for variety of purposes that span operational air quality forecasting in estimates o[ clear-sky direct radiative effects over ocean and aerosol-cloud interactions. The products undergo continual evaluation, including self-consistency checks and comparisons with highly accurate ground-based instruments. The result of these evaluation exercises is a quantitative understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the retrieval, where and when the products are accurate and the situations where and when accuracy degrades. We intend 10 present results of the most recent critical evaluations including the first comparison of the over ocean products against the shipboard aerosol optical depth measurements of the Marine Aerosol Network (MAN), the demonstration of the lack of sensitivity to size parameter in the over land products and identification of residual problems and regional issues. While the current data set is undergoing evaluation, we are preparing for the next data processing, labeled Collection 6. Collection 6 will include transparent Quality Flags, a 3 km aerosol product and the 500m resolution cloud mask used within the aerosol n:bicvu|. These new products and adjustments to algorithm assumptions should provide users with more options and greater control, as they adapt the product for their own purposes.

[Two traditions in the scientific learning of the world. A case study of creation and reception of quantum mechanics over the period 1925-1927, on the bases of discussion between Werner Heisenberg and Albert Einstein].

PubMed

Krajniak, Wiktor

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is the analyses of discussion between Albert Einstein and Werner Heisenberg in the period 1925-1927. Their disputes, relating to the sources of scientific knowledge, its methods and the value of knowledge acquired in this way, are part of the characteristic for the European science discourse between rationalism and empirism. On the basis of some sources and literature on the subject, the epistemological positions of both scholars in the period were reconstructed. This episode, yet poorly known, is a unique example of scientific disputes, whose range covers a broad spectrum of methodological problems associated with the historical development of science. The conducted analysis sheds some light on the source of popularity of logical empirism in the first half of the 20th century. A particular emphasis is placed on the impact of the neopositivist ideas which reflect Heisenberg's research program, being the starting point for the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics. The main assumption of logical empirism, concerning acquisition of scientific knowledge only by means of empirical procedures and logical analysis of the language of science, in view of the voiced by Einstein arguments, bears little relationship with actual testing practices in the historical aspect of the development of science. The criticism of Heisenberg's program, carried out by Einstein, provided arguments for the main critics of the neopositivist ideal and contributed to the bankruptcy of the idea of logical empirism, thereby starting a period of critical rationalism prosperity, arising from criticism of neopositivism and alluding to Einstein's ideas.

Scientific and Technological Foundations for Scaling Production of Nanostructured Metals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lowe, Terry C.; Davis, Casey F.; Rovira, Peter M.; Hayne, Mathew L.; Campbell, Gordon S.; Grzenia, Joel E.; Stock, Paige J.; Meagher, Rilee C.; Rack, Henry J.

2017-05-01

Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) has been explored in a wide range of metals and alloys. However, there are only a few industrial scale implementations of SPD for commercial alloys. To demonstrate and evolve technology for producing ultrafine grain metals by SPD, a Nanostructured Metals Manufacturing Testbed (NMMT) has been established in Golden, Colorado. Machines for research scale and pilot scale Equal Channel Angular Pressing-Conform (ECAP-C) technology have been configured in the NMMT to systematically evaluate and evolve SPD processing and advance the foundational science and technology for manufacturing. We highlight the scientific and technological areas that are critical for scale up of continuous SPD of aluminum, copper, magnesium, titanium, and iron-based alloys. Key areas that we will address in this presentation include the need for comprehensive analysis of starting microstructures, data on operating deformation mechanisms, high pressure thermodynamics and phase transformation kinetics, tribological behaviors, temperature dependence of lubricant properties, adaptation of tolerances and shear intensity to match viscoplastic behaviors, real-time process monitoring, and mechanics of billet/tooling interactions.

Leopold 2.0: Training for a New Kind of Science Leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturner, P. H.; Matson, P. A.; Krebs, M.

2011-12-01

To meet the environment and resource challenges of the coming decade, a new kind of scientific leadership is needed - one that is defined by the ability to innovate and lead transformational change; create strategic visions and implement them; catalyze and create bridges among multiple audiences and stakeholder groups; and motivate change in patterns of behavior, processes, and key decision systems. The Leopold Leadership Program has, since 1999, been training mid-career academic leaders in both communication skills and other strategies to link and translate their knowledge to decision making. As a result of the program's recent evaluation and planning activities, and drawing on current social science research, the program has identified storytelling, message-building, interviewing, and dialogue as critical science communication skills for the future. This presentation will provide examples of these skills, and illustrate ways in which they are essential to the work of collaboration, innovation, and action at the heart of "scientific leadership 2.0."

Assessing the influence of sustainable trail design and maintenance on soil loss

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marion, Jeff; Wimpey, Jeremy

2017-01-01

Natural-surfaced trail systems are an important infrastructure component providing a means for accessing remote protected natural area destinations. The condition and usability of trails is a critical concern of land managers charged with providing recreational access while preserving natural conditions, and to visitors seeking high quality recreational opportunities and experiences. While an adequate number of trail management publications provide prescriptive guidance for designing, constructing, and maintaining natural-surfaced trails, surprisingly little research has been directed at providing a scientific basis for this guidance. Results from a review of the literature and three scientific studies are presented to model and clarify the influence of factors that substantially influence trail soil loss and that can be manipulated by trail professionals to sustain high traffic while minimizing soil loss over time. Key factors include trail grade, slope alignment angle, tread drainage features, and the amount of rock in tread substrates. A new Trail Sustainability Rating is developed and offered as a tool for evaluating or improving the sustainability of existing or new trails.

Building Better Environmental Risk Assessments

PubMed Central

Layton, Raymond; Smith, Joe; Macdonald, Phil; Letchumanan, Ramatha; Keese, Paul; Lema, Martin

2015-01-01

Risk assessment is a reasoned, structured approach to address uncertainty based on scientific and technical evidence. It forms the foundation for regulatory decision-making, which is bound by legislative and policy requirements, as well as the need for making timely decisions using available resources. In order to be most useful, environmental risk assessments (ERAs) for genetically modified (GM) crops should provide consistent, reliable, and transparent results across all types of GM crops, traits, and environments. The assessments must also separate essential information from scientific or agronomic data of marginal relevance or value for evaluating risk and complete the assessment in a timely fashion. Challenges in conducting ERAs differ across regulatory systems – examples are presented from Canada, Malaysia, and Argentina. One challenge faced across the globe is the conduct of risk assessments with limited resources. This challenge can be overcome by clarifying risk concepts, placing greater emphasis on data critical to assess environmental risk (for example, phenotypic and plant performance data rather than molecular data), and adapting advances in risk analysis from other relevant disciplines. PMID:26301217

Building Better Environmental Risk Assessments.

PubMed

Layton, Raymond; Smith, Joe; Macdonald, Phil; Letchumanan, Ramatha; Keese, Paul; Lema, Martin

2015-01-01

Risk assessment is a reasoned, structured approach to address uncertainty based on scientific and technical evidence. It forms the foundation for regulatory decision-making, which is bound by legislative and policy requirements, as well as the need for making timely decisions using available resources. In order to be most useful, environmental risk assessments (ERAs) for genetically modified (GM) crops should provide consistent, reliable, and transparent results across all types of GM crops, traits, and environments. The assessments must also separate essential information from scientific or agronomic data of marginal relevance or value for evaluating risk and complete the assessment in a timely fashion. Challenges in conducting ERAs differ across regulatory systems - examples are presented from Canada, Malaysia, and Argentina. One challenge faced across the globe is the conduct of risk assessments with limited resources. This challenge can be overcome by clarifying risk concepts, placing greater emphasis on data critical to assess environmental risk (for example, phenotypic and plant performance data rather than molecular data), and adapting advances in risk analysis from other relevant disciplines.

Converting science to policy through stakeholder involvement: an analysis of the European Marine Strategy Directive.

PubMed

Fletcher, Stephen

2007-12-01

The Marine Strategy Directive requires European Union Member States to develop science-based marine strategies with the involvement of stakeholders, in order that Europe's marine environment reaches 'good environmental status' by 2021. The scientific requirements of marine strategies are clearly defined within the Directive, however, the requirements related to stakeholder involvement are not. This paper presents a critical analysis of the provisions for stakeholder involvement with in the Marine Strategy Directive. In particular, the paper is focused upon the definition of stakeholder, the sequencing of involvement, and the form and purpose of involvement. The critique is set within an evaluative framework that considers policy-making to be a social process, rather than a purely scientific one. It is concluded that the Marine Strategy Directive lacks coherency with respect to stakeholder involvement which may perpetuate the traditional tension between marine science and policy. This in turn may compromise the ability of the Directive to protect Europe's marine environment.

Science deficiency in conservation practice: the monitoring of tiger populations in India

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karanth, K.U.; Nichols, J.D.; Seidensticker, J.; Dinerstein, Eric; Smith, J.L.D.; McDougal, C.; Johnsingh, A.J.T.; Chundawat, Raghunandan S.; Thapar, V.

2003-01-01

Conservation practices are supposed to get refined by advancing scientific knowledge. We study this phenomenon in the context of monitoring tiger populations in India, by evaluating the 'pugmark census method' employed by wildlife managers for three decades. We use an analytical framework of modem animal population sampling to test the efficacy of the pugmark censuses using scientific data on tigers and our field observations. We identify three critical goals for monitoring tiger populations, in order of increasing sophistication: (1) distribution mapping, (2) tracking relative abundance, (3) estimation of absolute abundance. We demonstrate that the present census-based paradigm does not work because it ignores the first two simpler goals, and targets, but fails to achieve, the most difficult third goal. We point out the utility and ready availability of alternative monitoring paradigms that deal with the central problems of spatial sampling and observability. We propose an alternative sampling-based approach that can be tailored to meet practical needs of tiger monitoring at different levels of refinement.

Towards the responsible conduct of scientific research: is ethics education enough?

PubMed Central

Novossiolova, Tatyana; Sture, Judi

2012-01-01

Much of the discourse on ‘beyond the laboratory door’ biosecurity to date has focused on the need to raise awareness among the scientific community of the risks posed by the rapid advancement of biotechnology in recent decades. While education is undoubtedly important, a growing body of evidence suggests that ethics education does not necessarily translate into ethical behaviour. This trend has already been reported in clinical settings, where research has highlighted doctors’ own reports of ethically dubious practices and challenges when confronted with moral dilemmas in their everyday work. The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate the practical value of ethics education and show why it is an essential, although insufficient, measure for promoting a culture of responsible conduct of research. We conclude by highlighting the importance of continuing professional development as a way of maintaining life scientists’ engagement with biosecurity issues and supporting them in active roles in the effective implementation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC). PMID:22606762

Under-Representation of Women in Science: From Educational, Feminist and Scientific Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarseke, Gulnar

2018-01-01

The article aims to explore the main reasons why women are under-represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers. The article critically analyzes three approaches: educational, feminist, and scientific. This work highlights that the subject "gender and science" has been looked at for at least…

78 FR 37327 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-20

..., Otero, Rio Arriba, Sandoval, and Socorro Counties, in New Mexico; Las Animas, Archuleta, and La Plata... knowledgeable individuals with scientific expertise to review our analysis of the best available science and application of that science and to provide any additional scientific information to improve this proposed rule...

Methods and Strategies: Digital Notebooks for Digital Natives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Bridget; Martin, Christie

2016-01-01

The idea of notebooking is not new in the science classroom. Since the mid-1970s, writing has been found to facilitate students' critical thinking and learning across a variety of content areas. For science educators, notebooks have become an essential tool for supporting students' scientific inquiry in and across concepts. Scientific notebooks…

The Role of Metaphorical Thinking in the Creativity of Scientific Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez-Ruiz, Maria-Jose; Santos, Manuela Romo; Jiménez, Juan Jiménez

2013-01-01

This article critically reviews the extant literature on scientific creativity and metaphorical thinking. Metaphorical thinking is based on a conceptual transfer of relationships or mapping, from a well-known source domain to a poorly known target domain, which could result in creative outcomes in sciences. Creativity leads to products that are…

Resistances to Scientific Knowledge Production of Comparative Measurements of Dropout and Completion in European Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlhed, Carina

2017-01-01

The article is a critical sociological analysis of current transnational practices on creating comparable measurements of dropout and completion in higher education and the consequences for the conditions of scientific knowledge production on the topic. The analysis revolves around questions of epistemological, methodological and symbolic types…

The Texture of Educational Inquiry: An Exploration of George Herbert Mead's Concept of the Scientific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franzosa, Susan Douglas

1984-01-01

Explores the implications of Mead's philosophic social psychology for current disputes concerning the nature of the scientific in educational studies. Mead's contextualization of the knower and the known are found to be compatible with a contemporary critique of positivist paradigms and a critical reconceptualization of educational inquiry.…

The Impact of Science Fiction Films on Student Interest in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laprise, Shari; Winrich, Chuck

2010-01-01

Science fiction films were used in required and elective nonmajor science courses as a pedagogical tool to motivate student interest in science and to reinforce critical thinking about scientific concepts. Students watched various films and critiqued them for scientific accuracy in written assignments. Students' perception of this activity was…

Scientific Inquiry Based Professional Development Models in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corlu, Mehmet Ali; Corlu, M. Sencer

2012-01-01

Scientific inquiry helps students develop critical thinking abilities and enables students to think and construct knowledge like a scientist. The study describes a method course implementation at a major public teachers college in Turkey. The main goal of the course was to improve research and teaching abilities of prospective physics teachers…

In the eye of the cyclops: The classic case of cospeciation and why paradigms are important

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Scientific disagreements due to empirical problems - not enough data, not enough of the critical type of data, problems in analyzing the data - are generally short-lived and resolved in the next cycle of data production. Those disagreements are thus transitory. Persistent scientific conflicts do n...

Ghost Hunting as a Means to Illustrate Scientific Methodology and Enhance Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockwell, Steven C.

2012-01-01

The increasing popularity of television shows featuring paranormal investigations has led to a renewed enthusiasm in ghost hunting activities, and belief in the paranormal in general. These shows typically feature a group of investigators who, while claiming to utilize proper scientifically correct methodologies, violate many core scientific…

The Users and Uses of Scientific and Technical Information: Critical Research Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, James E.; Rubenstein, Albert H.

At a 1973 workshop held in Denver, Colorado, 21 participants familiar with the uses of Scientific and Technical Information (STI) services gathered to identify the system's major research needs. Initially, 50 research projects were suggested in the areas of design, management, operations, marketing, and global considerations. Using a priority…

Development of a Structured Undergraduate Research Experience: Framework and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Anne M.; Lewis, Stephanie N.; Bevan, David R.

2016-01-01

Participating in undergraduate research can be a pivotal experience for students in life science disciplines. Development of critical thinking skills, in addition to conveying scientific ideas in oral and written formats, is essential to ensuring that students develop a greater understanding of basic scientific knowledge and the research process.…

Scientific Skills as Core Competences in Medical Education: What Do Medical Students Think?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribeiro, Laura; Severo, Milton; Pereira, Margarida; Ferreira, Maria Amélia

2015-01-01

Background: Scientific excellence is one of the most fundamental underpinnings of medical education and its relevance is unquestionable. To be involved in research activities enhances students' critical thinking and problem-solving capacities, which are mandatory competences for new achievements in patient care and consequently to the improvement…

Measuring Graph Comprehension, Critique, and Construction in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Kevin; Cabrera, Julio; Vitale, Jonathan M.; Madhok, Jacquie; Tinker, Robert; Linn, Marcia C.

2016-01-01

Interpreting and creating graphs plays a critical role in scientific practice. The K-12 Next Generation Science Standards call for students to use graphs for scientific modeling, reasoning, and communication. To measure progress on this dimension, we need valid and reliable measures of graph understanding in science. In this research, we designed…

Frame Analysis in Science Education: A Classroom Activity for Promoting Media Literacy and Learning about Genetic Causation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carver, Rebecca Bruu; Wiese, Eline Fatima; Breivik, Jarle

2014-01-01

After completion of formal education, the mass media represent people's primary source of scientific information. Besides the traditional attention to scientific knowledge, national curricula are therefore increasingly emphasizing critical and reflexive engagement with media content as a key objective of science education. Despite this curricular…

Unpacking the Relationship between Science Education and Applied Scientific Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowell, Amanda; Schunn, Christian

2016-01-01

Scientific literacy has many meanings: it can be thought of as foundational knowledge, foundational critical thinking skills, or the application of these two foundations to everyday decision making. Here, we examine the far transfer scenario: do increases in science education lead to everyday decision-making becoming more consistent with consensus…

Undergraduates' Ability to Recognize Correlational and Causal Language before and after Explicit Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Jon F.; Coon, Heather M.

2013-01-01

The ability to distinguish between correlational and causal claims is core knowledge for scientific literacy. News reports of scientific research prominently feature these claims. Thus, this knowledge has significant real-world application, and distinguishing among claims is critical to making sense of the reported research. We constructed an…

Research and Teaching: Reenvisioning the Introductory Science Course as a Cognitive Apprenticeship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Meredith M.; Pastorino, Lucia; Lee, Star; Lipton, Paul

2016-01-01

Introductory science courses play a critical role in the recruitment and retention of undergraduate science majors. In particular, first-year courses are opportunities to engage students in scientific practices and motivate them to consider scientific careers. We developed an introductory course using a semester-long series of established…

Clinical review: Thinking outside the box - an iconoclastic view of current practice

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Many advances in medicine have been achieved through challenging established dogma with revolutionary thought and novel practices. Each and every specialty is reinvigorated by regular re-evaluation of processes and practices in the light of new evidence and fresh conceptualization. Challenge can galvanize fresh thinking and new approaches, yet may also reinforce and strengthen traditional paradigms if the prevailing orthodoxy is subsequently revalidated. This article is a synopsis of a roundtable meeting held in Brussels in March 2010 designed specifically to confront doctrine with reasoned scientific argument, and to propose new ideas for advancing critical care practices and outcomes. PMID:21888690

Quantitative Evaluation of 3 DBMS: ORACLE, SEED AND INGRES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sylto, R.

1984-01-01

Characteristics required for NASA scientific data base management application are listed as well as performance testing objectives. Results obtained for the ORACLE, SEED, and INGRES packages are presented in charts. It is concluded that vendor packages can manage 130 megabytes of data at acceptable load and query rates. Performance tests varying data base designs and various data base management system parameters are valuable to applications for choosing packages and critical to designing effective data bases. An applications productivity increases with the use of data base management system because of enhanced capabilities such as a screen formatter, a reporter writer, and a data dictionary.

Raw food diets in companion animals: A critical review

PubMed Central

Schlesinger, Daniel P.; Joffe, Daniel J.

2011-01-01

Feeding of raw meat-based diets to pets has become an increasingly popular trend amongst pet owners. Owners, who desire to provide the best for their pets, seek veterinary opinions about food options. This paper reviews and applies standards of evidence-based medicine to grade the available scientific literature that addresses the nutritional benefits or risks, infectious disease risks, and public health implications of raw, meat-based pet diets. Although there is a lack of large cohort studies to evaluate risk or benefit of raw meat diets fed to pets, there is enough evidence to compel veterinarians to discuss human health implications of these diets with owners. PMID:21461207

Science support for managing migratory waterfowl.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleskes, Joseph P.; Miller, Michael R.; Takekawa, John Y.

2003-01-01

Migratory birds in North America are an international resource shared by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Ultimate population management authority in the U.S. lies with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), but states participate in development of management decisions through the Flyway system. The FWS, state wildlife agencies, and nongovernmental organizations participate through independent actions and cooperative Joint Ventures under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) to acquire, protect, restore, and enhance wetlands and other habitats critical to the long-term conservation of breeding, migrating, and wintering waterfowl. A thorough base of scientific information is required to support and evaluate waterfowl populations and habitat management in North America.

Bias, misleading information and lack of respect for alternative views have distorted perceptions of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and its treatment.

PubMed

Goudsmit, Ellen; Howes, Sandra

2017-08-01

The PACE trial is one of the most recent studies evaluating cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. These interventions are based on a model which assumes that symptoms are perpetuated by factors such as misguided beliefs and a lack of activity. Our analysis indicates that the researchers have shown significant bias in their accounts of the literature and may also have overstated the effectiveness of the above treatments. We submit that their approach to criticisms undermines the scientific process and is inconsistent with best practice.

The PACE trial: It's time to broaden perceptions and move on.

PubMed

Petrie, Keith J; Weinman, John

2017-08-01

The continued critiques of the PACE trial highlight how differing beliefs about the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome still influence how scientific studies in this area are accepted and evaluated. Causal beliefs about chronic fatigue syndrome and a modern version of Cartesian dualism are important in understanding the reaction to the PACE trial. The continued debate on the PACE trial seems to miss the fact that science is incremental. An unfortunate outcome of the PACE controversy and intimidation of researchers may be less research in the area. It is time to move on from criticism and collect more data on effective treatments.

Academic freedom: protecting "liberal science" in nursing in the 21st century.

PubMed

Kneipp, Shawn M; Canales, Mary K; Fahrenwald, Nancy; Taylor, Janette Y

2007-01-01

Generating new knowledge through science is one of the most valued contributions of American universities, and is wholly dependent on the tenets of academic freedom. This article provides an overview of academic freedom in the United States, lack of attentiveness to academic freedom in the discipline of nursing, and its relevance for advancing nursing science. Three issues are critically evaluated as they relate to "the free search for truth" that is imperative for scientific progress to occur, including (a) its importance in a liberal science system, (b) recent trends to politically manipulate science, and (c) movements to restrict speech on campus.

Science in mid-Victorian Punch.

PubMed

Noakes, Richard

2002-09-01

This article examines the scientific content of the most famous comic journal of the Victorian period: Punch. Concentrating on the first three decades of the periodical (1841-1871), I show that Punch usually engaged with science that was highly topical, of consequence to the lives of its bourgeois readers, and suitable for comic interpretation. But Punch's satire of scientific topics was highly complex. It often contained allusions to non-scientific topics, and its engagement with science ranged from the utterly comic to the sharply critical. Punch prompted readers to think as well as laugh about science, and probably shaped their scientific education more than we think.

PASSCLAIM - Synthesis and review of existing processes.

PubMed

Richardson, David P; Affertsholt, Tage; Asp, Nils-Georg; Bruce, Ake; Grossklaus, Rolf; Howlett, John; Pannemans, Daphne; Ross, Richard; Verhagen, Hans; Viechtbauer, Volker

2003-03-01

Several approaches to the use of health claims on foods have been made around the world, and the common theme is that any health claim will require scientific validation and substantiation. There is also broad consensus that any regulatory framework should protect the consumer, promote fair trade and encourage innovation in the food industry.This paper is based on a critical evaluation of existing international approaches to the scientific substantiation of health claims, with a view to identifying common new ideas, definitions, best practice and a methodology to underpin current and future developments. There is a clear need to have uniform understanding, terminology and description of types of nutrition and health claims. Two broad categories were defined: Nutrition Claims, i. e. what the product contains, and Health Claims, i. e. relating to health, well-being and/or performance, including well-established nutrient function claims, enhanced function claims and disease risk reduction claims. Such health claims relate to what the food or food components does or do. The categories of health claims are closely and progressively related and are, in practice, part of a continuum. Provision is also made for "generic" or well-established, generally accepted claims and for "innovative" or "product-specific" claims. Special attention was paid to reflect the health-promoting properties of a food or food component in such a way as to facilitate the making of risk reduction claims outside the medical scope of the term prevention. The paper sets out basic principles and guidelines for communication of health claims and principles of nutritional safety. The main body of the work examines the process for the assessment of scientific support for health claims on food and emphasises an evidence-based approach consisting of: Identification of all relevant studies exploring the collection of evidence, data searches, the nature of the scientific evidence, sources of scientific data (including human intervention studies, human observational studies, animal studies and in vitro studies, and the use of biomarkers in human studies. Evaluation of the quality of individual studies to ensure good experimental design and interpretation. Interpretation of the totality of evidence to apply scientific judgement to interpret the weight of evidence as a whole. Assessment of significant scientific agreement on a case-by-case basis to agree within the relevant scientific community that an association between a food or a food component and a health benefit is valid. Annexes include an international comparison of regulatory approaches to health claims, suggestions for the documentation and presentation of evidence, and a procedure for reviewing the evidence.

The development of scientific reasoning in medical education: a psychological perspective.

PubMed

Barz, Daniela Luminita; Achimaş-Cadariu, Andrei

2016-01-01

Scientific reasoning has been studied from a variety of theoretical perspectives, which have tried to identify the underlying mechanisms responsible for the development of this particular cognitive process. Scientific reasoning has been defined as a problem-solving process that involves critical thinking in relation to content, procedural, and epistemic knowledge. The development of scientific reasoning in medical education was influenced by current paradigmatic trends, it could be traced along educational curriculum and followed cognitive processes. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the role of scientific reasoning in medical education and outline educational methods for its development. Current evidence suggests that medical education should foster a new ways of development of scientific reasoning, which include exploration of the complexity of scientific inquiry, and also take into consideration the heterogeneity of clinical cases found in practice.

A framework for evaluating proposals for scientific activities in wilderness

Treesearch

Peter Landres

2000-01-01

This paper presents a structured framework for evaluating proposals for scientific activities in wilderness. Wilderness managers receive proposals for scientific activities ranging from unobtrusive inventorying of plants and animals to the use of chainsaws and helicopters for collecting information. Currently, there is no consistent process for evaluating proposals,...

76 FR 36544 - Scientific Evaluation of Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications; Public Workshop; Request for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-22

... appropriate collection of data regarding the use, consumer perception, and health risks of an MRTP? III...] Scientific Evaluation of Modified Risk Tobacco Product Applications; Public Workshop; Request for Comments... obtain input on specific issues associated with the scientific evaluation of modified risk tobacco...

Astronomy and astrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarka, Philippe

2011-06-01

Astrology meets a large success in our societies, from the private to the political sphere as well as in the media, in spite of the demonstrated inaccuracy of its psychological as well as operational predictions. We analyse here the relations between astrology and astronomy, as well as the criticisms opposed by the latter to the former. We show that most of these criticisms are weak. Much stronger ones emerge from the analysis of the astrological practice compared to the scientific method, leading us to conclude to the non-scientificity of astrology. Then we return to the success of astrology, and from its analysis we propose a renewed (and prophylactic) rôle for astronomy in society.

Onward, Christian penguins: wildlife film and the image of scientific authority.

PubMed

Wexler, Rebecca

2008-09-01

Within US media reactions to March of the penguins, animal images became an arena for displaced conflicts of human interest. This paper examines an intermediary step through which the film became a medium for social disagreement: conflict over control of the cultural authority to interpret animal images. I analyze claims to the cultural honorific of science made within disputes over readings of the film as evidence for intelligent design (ID). I argue that published refutations of this reading were largely misguided in that they tended to group arguments-for-ID with a suite of social-allegorical readings of the film. By failing to address essential differences between interpretations, critics of the arguments-for-ID necessarily overlooked their problematic and unexamined claim that the film shares the cultural authority of science. Furthermore, where critics of the ID readings might have challenged this claim, they often replicated it instead. This overarching failure critically to assess the status of the film's scientific authority may have resulted from audience expectations about the genre of wildlife films, the advertising strategy of the film's US distributors, and structural ambiguities within the film concerning its status as a scientific representation.

Sustainable healthcare: how to assess and improve healthcare structures' sustainability.

PubMed

Buffoli, M; Capolongo, S; Bottero, M; Cavagliato, E; Speranza, S; Volpatti, L

2013-01-01

Sustainability is a broad and debated subject, often difficult to be defined and applied into real projects, especially when dealing with a complex scenario as the one of healthcare. Many research studies and evaluation systems have handled this topic from different perspectives, but many limits and criticalities still have to be overcome to properly cope with actual needs. The Sustainable Healthcare project has been developed through three main phases: a deep study of the state of the art, unraveling pros and cons of available sustainability scoring systems; an accurate analysis of the stakeholders network and their needs; the realization of an objective evaluation framework, through scientific methods, as the ANP. The newly developed evaluation system takes into consideration all the three pillars of sustainability, analyzing social, environmental and economic sustainability through a set of criteria, specified by measurable indicators. So the system identifies both global sustainability and specific critical areas, pointing out possible strategic solutions to improve sustainability. The evaluation is achieved through technical analyses and qualitative surveys, which eventually allow to quantitatively assess sustainability, through a sound scoring method. This study proposes an innovative evaluation method to determine the sustainability of a hospital, already existing or in the design phase, within the European context. The Sustainable Healthcare system overcomes some of the current evaluation systems' limits by establishing a multidisciplinary approach and being an easy-to-use tool. This protocol is intended to be of support in the identification of the main hospital's weaknesses and in setting priorities for implementation of the solutions.

Degradation of chlorophenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates, two representative textile chemicals, in water by advanced oxidation processes: the state of the art on transformation products and toxicity.

PubMed

Karci, Akin

2014-03-01

Advanced oxidation processes based on the generation of reactive species including hydroxyl radicals are viable options in eliminating a wide array of refractory organic contaminants in industrial effluents. The assessment of transformation products and toxicity should be, however, the critical point that would allow the overall efficiency of advanced oxidation processes to be better understood and evaluated since some transformation products could have an inhibitory effect on certain organisms. This article reviews the most recent studies on transformation products and toxicity for evaluating advanced oxidation processes in eliminating classes of compounds described as "textile chemicals" from aqueous matrices and poses questions in need of further investigation. The scope of this paper is limited to the scientific studies with two classes of textile chemicals, namely chlorophenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates, whose use in textile industry is a matter of debate due to health risks to humans and harm to the environment. The article also raises the critical question: What is the state of the art knowledge on relationships between transformation products and toxicity? Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular Targets Underlying the Anticancer Effects of Quercetin: An Update

PubMed Central

Khan, Fazlullah; Niaz, Kamal; Maqbool, Faheem; Ismail Hassan, Fatima; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Nagulapalli Venkata, Kalyan C.; Nabavi, Seyed Mohammad; Bishayee, Anupam

2016-01-01

Quercetin, a medicinally important member of the flavonoid family, is one of the most prominent dietary antioxidants. It is present in a variety of foods—including fruits, vegetables, tea, wine, as well as other dietary supplements—and is responsible for various health benefits. Numerous pharmacological effects of quercetin include protection against diseases, such as osteoporosis, certain forms of malignant tumors, and pulmonary and cardiovascular disorders. Quercetin has the special ability of scavenging highly reactive species, such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl radicals. These oxygen radicals are called reactive oxygen species, which can cause oxidative damage to cellular components, such as proteins, lipids, and deoxyribonucleic acid. Various oxygen radicals play important roles in pathophysiological and degenerative processes, such as aging. Subsequently, several studies have been performed to evaluate possible advantageous health effects of quercetin and to collect scientific evidence for these beneficial health claims. These studies also gather data in order to evaluate the exact mechanism(s) of action and toxicological effects of quercetin. The purpose of this review is to present and critically analyze molecular pathways underlying the anticancer effects of quercetin. Current limitations and future directions of research on this bioactive dietary polyphenol are also critically discussed. PMID:27589790

The use of citation indicators to identify and support high-quality research in Poland.

PubMed

Pilc, Andrzej

2008-01-01

In large, mostly English-speaking countries, where the "critical mass" of scientists working in different subfields of science is achieved, the peer review system may be sufficient to assess the quality of scientific research. However, in smaller countries, outside the Anglo-American circle, it is important to introduce different systems to identify research of high quality. In Poland, a parametric system for assessing the quality of research has been introduced. It was largely based on the impact factor of scientific journals. While the use of this indicator to assess research quality is highly questionable, the implementation of the system in the Polish reality is even worse. Therefore it is important to change and improve the system currently used by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to both evaluate and, more importantly, finance science in Poland. Here, a system based on three factors, i.e. the impact factor, the institutional h-index, and the institutional number of citations, is proposed. The scientific quality of institutions in Division VI: Medical Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences were evaluated and the results were compared with the existing system. Moreover, a method to identify high-quality researchers and institutions at the national level based on the quantity of highly cited papers is shown. Additionally, an attempt to identify the highest quality Polish research on an international level is proposed. This is based on the number of individual citations, the individual h-index, the number of publications, and the priority of the discovery.

What concept analysis in philosophy of science should be (and why competing philosophical analyses of gene concepts cannot be tested by polling scientists).

PubMed

Waters, C Kenneth

2004-01-01

What should philosophers of science accomplish when they analyze scientific concepts and interpret scientific knowledge? What is concept analysis if it is not a description of the way scientists actually think? I investigate these questions by using Hans Reichenbach's account of the descriptive, critical, and advisory tasks of philosophy of science to examine Karola Stotz and Paul Griffiths' idea that poll-based methodologies can test philosophical analyses of scientific concepts. Using Reichenbach's account as a point of departure, I argue that philosophy of science should identify and clarify epistemic virtues and describe scientific knowledge in relation to these virtues. The role of concept analysis is to articulate scientific concepts in ways that help reveal epistemic virtues and limitations of particular sciences. This means an analysis of the gene concept(s) should help clarify the explanatory power and limitations of gene-based explanations, and should help account for the investigative utility and biases of gene-centered sciences. I argue that a philosophical analysis of gene concept(s) that helps achieve these critical aims should not be rejected on the basis of poll-based studies even if such studies could show that professional biologists don't actually use gene terminology in precise ways corresponding to the philosophical analysis.

Othering Processes and STS Curricula: From Nineteenth Century Scientific Discourse on Interracial Competition and Racial Extinction to Othering in Biomedical Technosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arteaga, Juan Manuel Sánchez; El-Hani, Charbel N.

2012-05-01

This paper analyzes the debates on "interracial competition" and "racial extinction" in the biological discourse on human evolution during the second half of the nineteenth century. Our intention is to discuss the ideological function of these biological concepts as tools for the naturalization and scientific legitimation of racial hierarchies during that period. We argue that the examination of these scientific discussions about race from a historical perspective can play the role of a critical platform for students and teachers to think about the role of science in current othering processes, such as those related to biomedical technosciences. If they learn how biological ideas played an ideological function concerning interracial relationships in the past, they can be compelled to ask which ideological functions the biological knowledge they are teaching and learning might play now. If this is properly balanced, they can eventually both value scientific knowledge for its contributions and have a critical appraisal of some of its implications. We propose, here, a number of initial design principles for the construction of teaching sequences about scientific racism and science-technology-society relationships, yet to be empirically tested by iterative cycles of implementation in basic education and teacher education classrooms.

Evaluating how we evaluate.

PubMed

Vale, Ronald D

2012-09-01

Evaluation of scientific work underlies the process of career advancement in academic science, with publications being a fundamental metric. Many aspects of the evaluation process for grants and promotions are deeply ingrained in institutions and funding agencies and have been altered very little in the past several decades, despite substantial changes that have taken place in the scientific work force, the funding landscape, and the way that science is being conducted. This article examines how scientific productivity is being evaluated, what it is rewarding, where it falls short, and why richer information than a standard curriculum vitae/biosketch might provide a more accurate picture of scientific and educational contributions. The article also explores how the evaluation process exerts a profound influence on many aspects of the scientific enterprise, including the training of new scientists, the way in which grant resources are distributed, the manner in which new knowledge is published, and the culture of science itself.

Evaluating how we evaluate

PubMed Central

Vale, Ronald D.

2012-01-01

Evaluation of scientific work underlies the process of career advancement in academic science, with publications being a fundamental metric. Many aspects of the evaluation process for grants and promotions are deeply ingrained in institutions and funding agencies and have been altered very little in the past several decades, despite substantial changes that have taken place in the scientific work force, the funding landscape, and the way that science is being conducted. This article examines how scientific productivity is being evaluated, what it is rewarding, where it falls short, and why richer information than a standard curriculum vitae/biosketch might provide a more accurate picture of scientific and educational contributions. The article also explores how the evaluation process exerts a profound influence on many aspects of the scientific enterprise, including the training of new scientists, the way in which grant resources are distributed, the manner in which new knowledge is published, and the culture of science itself. PMID:22936699

``Global Warming/Climate Change'': A Critical Look

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Laurence I.

2011-11-01

There continues to be an increasing number of scientists from around the world who are challenging the dominant claim that has been bolstered by so-called ``consensus'' scientific views -- that dangerous ``global warming/climate change'' is caused primarily by human-produced carbon dioxide. This poster will show scientific evidence contradicting that claim. It will also explain some of the errors that have been introduced from a corruption of the scientific method. (Further information can be found at http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/lgould/)

Joint the Center for Applied Scientific Computing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamblin, Todd; Bremer, Timo; Van Essen, Brian

The Center for Applied Scientific Computing serves as Livermore Lab’s window to the broader computer science, computational physics, applied mathematics, and data science research communities. In collaboration with academic, industrial, and other government laboratory partners, we conduct world-class scientific research and development on problems critical to national security. CASC applies the power of high-performance computing and the efficiency of modern computational methods to the realms of stockpile stewardship, cyber and energy security, and knowledge discovery for intelligence applications.

COST action TD1407: network on technology-critical elements (NOTICE)--from environmental processes to human health threats.

PubMed

Cobelo-García, A; Filella, M; Croot, P; Frazzoli, C; Du Laing, G; Ospina-Alvarez, N; Rauch, S; Salaun, P; Schäfer, J; Zimmermann, S

2015-10-01

The current socio-economic, environmental and public health challenges that countries are facing clearly need common-defined strategies to inform and support our transition to a sustainable economy. Here, the technology-critical elements (which includes Ga, Ge, In, Te, Nb, Ta, Tl, the Platinum Group Elements and most of the rare-earth elements) are of great relevance in the development of emerging key technologies-including renewable energy, energy efficiency, electronics or the aerospace industry. In this context, the increasing use of technology-critical elements (TCEs) and associated environmental impacts (from mining to end-of-life waste products) is not restricted to a national level but covers most likely a global scale. Accordingly, the European COST Action TD1407: Network on Technology-Critical Elements (NOTICE)-from environmental processes to human health threats, has an overall objective for creating a network of scientists and practitioners interested in TCEs, from the evaluation of their environmental processes to understanding potential human health threats, with the aim of defining the current state of knowledge and gaps, proposing priority research lines/activities and acting as a platform for new collaborations and joint research projects. The Action is focused on three major scientific areas: (i) analytical chemistry, (ii) environmental biogeochemistry and (iii) human exposure and (eco)-toxicology.

Index-based groundwater vulnerability mapping models using hydrogeological settings: A critical evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kumar, Prashant, E-mail: prashantkumar@csio.res.in; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research—CSIO, Chandigarh 160030; Bansod, Baban K.S.

2015-02-15

Groundwater vulnerability maps are useful for decision making in land use planning and water resource management. This paper reviews the various groundwater vulnerability assessment models developed across the world. Each model has been evaluated in terms of its pros and cons and the environmental conditions of its application. The paper further discusses the validation techniques used for the generated vulnerability maps by various models. Implicit challenges associated with the development of the groundwater vulnerability assessment models have also been identified with scientific considerations to the parameter relations and their selections. - Highlights: • Various index-based groundwater vulnerability assessment models havemore » been discussed. • A comparative analysis of the models and its applicability in different hydrogeological settings has been discussed. • Research problems of underlying vulnerability assessment models are also reported in this review paper.« less

Science deserves to be judged by its contents, not by its wrapping: Revisiting Seglen's work on journal impact and research evaluation.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Rousseau, Ronald; Sivertsen, Gunnar

2017-01-01

The scientific foundation for the criticism on the use of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in evaluations of individual researchers and their publications was laid between 1989 and 1997 in a series of articles by Per O. Seglen. His basic work has since influenced initiatives such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the Leiden Manifesto for research metrics, and The Metric Tide review on the role of metrics in research assessment and management. Seglen studied the publications of only 16 senior biomedical scientists. We investigate whether Seglen's main findings still hold when using the same methods for a much larger group of Norwegian biomedical scientists with more than 18,000 publications. Our results support and add new insights to Seglen's basic work.

Science deserves to be judged by its contents, not by its wrapping: Revisiting Seglen's work on journal impact and research evaluation

PubMed Central

Rousseau, Ronald; Sivertsen, Gunnar

2017-01-01

The scientific foundation for the criticism on the use of the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) in evaluations of individual researchers and their publications was laid between 1989 and 1997 in a series of articles by Per O. Seglen. His basic work has since influenced initiatives such as the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), the Leiden Manifesto for research metrics, and The Metric Tide review on the role of metrics in research assessment and management. Seglen studied the publications of only 16 senior biomedical scientists. We investigate whether Seglen’s main findings still hold when using the same methods for a much larger group of Norwegian biomedical scientists with more than 18,000 publications. Our results support and add new insights to Seglen’s basic work. PMID:28350849

Science Outside the Lab: Helping Graduate Students in Science and Engineering Understand the Complexities of Science Policy.

PubMed

Bernstein, Michael J; Reifschneider, Kiera; Bennett, Ira; Wetmore, Jameson M

2017-06-01

Helping scientists and engineers challenge received assumptions about how science, engineering, and society relate is a critical cornerstone for macroethics education. Scientific and engineering research are frequently framed as first steps of a value-free linear model that inexorably leads to societal benefit. Social studies of science and assessments of scientific and engineering research speak to the need for a more critical approach to the noble intentions underlying these assumptions. "Science Outside the Lab" is a program designed to help early-career scientists and engineers understand the complexities of science and engineering policy. Assessment of the program entailed a pre-, post-, and 1 year follow up survey to gauge student perspectives on relationships between science and society, as well as a pre-post concept map exercise to elicit student conceptualizations of science policy. Students leave Science Outside the Lab with greater humility about the role of scientific expertise in science and engineering policy; greater skepticism toward linear notions of scientific advances benefiting society; a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the actors involved in shaping science policy; and a continued appreciation of the contributions of science and engineering to society. The study presents an efficacious program that helps scientists and engineers make inroads into macroethical debates, reframe the ways in which they think about values of science and engineering in society, and more thoughtfully engage with critical mediators of science and society relationships: policy makers and policy processes.

Scientific Advisory Panel to Meet on Cancer Potential of Glyphosate

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) will meet October 18-21, 2016, to consider and review a set of scientific issues being evaluated by the regarding EPA's evaluation

Epistemological Trade-Offs: Accounting for Context When Evaluating Epistemological Sophistication of Student Engagement in Scientific Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berland, Leema; Crucet, Kathleen

2016-01-01

Science education has long seen an emphasis on supporting students' epistemological understandings of how scientific knowledge is constructed and evaluated with the expectation that these understandings will support the students' own construction and evaluation of scientific knowledge. However, research has shown that this connection does not…

Self-assessment, reflection on practice and critical thinking in nursing students.

PubMed

Siles-González, José; Solano-Ruiz, Carmen

2016-10-01

In accordance with the principles of the European Higher Education Area, the aim of this study was to contribute to the implementation of self-assessment through the application of reflection on learning and critical thinking. The theoretical framework employed was Habermas's critical theory and emancipatory interest as a preliminary step to generate educational transformations. The methodological contribution is the design a student self-assessment document that promotes reflection on action and critical thinking. The development of assessment through peer evaluation and other intermediate solutions until achieving self-assessment entails a shift in the educational and scientific paradigm, but also involves the implementation in practice of democratic and ethical principles, values and premises in society. Self-assessment is a novel concept for students, and obliges them to reinterpret their role. Due to the diversity of students' principles, values, motivations, interests and aspirations, this reinterpretation of their role can have a positive outcome, stimulating an active and critical attitude towards group work and self-assessment; or, on the contrary, can generate a stance characterised by disinterest, passivity and lack of critical thinking. The forms of assessment adopted in a given educational system reflect ways of thinking related to ideologies, values, ethical principles and educational paradigms: in order to render implementation of effective self-assessment feasible, it is necessary to undertake structural and regulatory reforms. Students have little experience of reflection on practice or critical thinking. Massification and cultural and structural factors determine the form of assessment. In this context, it would seem advisable to move towards self-assessment gradually and cautiously. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The significant surface-water connectivity of "geographically isolated wetlands"

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calhoun, Aram J.K.; Mushet, David M.; Alexander, Laurie C.; DeKeyser, Edward S.; Fowler, Laurie; Lane, Charles R.; Lang, Megan W.; Rains, Mark C.; Richter, Stephen; Walls, Susan

2017-01-01

We evaluated the current literature, coupled with our collective research expertise, on surface-water connectivity of wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” (sensu Tiner Wetlands 23:494–516, 2003a) to critically assess the scientific foundation of grouping wetlands based on the singular condition of being surrounded by uplands. The most recent research on wetlands considered to be “geographically isolated” shows the difficulties in grouping an ecological resource that does not reliably indicate lack of surface water connectivity in order to meet legal, regulatory, or scientific needs. Additionally, the practice of identifying “geographically isolated wetlands” based on distance from a stream can result in gross overestimates of the number of wetlands lacking ecologically important surface-water connections. Our findings do not support use of the overly simplistic label of “geographically isolated wetlands”. Wetlands surrounded by uplands vary in function and surface-water connections based on wetland landscape setting, context, climate, and geographic region and should be evaluated as such. We found that the “geographically isolated” grouping does not reflect our understanding of the hydrologic variability of these wetlands and hence does not benefit conservation of the Nation’s diverse wetland resources. Therefore, we strongly discourage use of categorizations that provide overly simplistic views of surface-water connectivity of wetlands fully embedded in upland landscapes.

How to be rational about empirical success in ongoing science: The case of the quantum nose and its critics.

PubMed

Barwich, Ann-Sophie

2018-06-01

Empirical success is a central criterion for scientific decision-making. Yet its understanding in philosophical studies of science deserves renewed attention: Should philosophers think differently about the advancement of science when they deal with the uncertainty of outcome in ongoing research in comparison with historical episodes? This paper argues that normative appeals to empirical success in the evaluation of competing scientific explanations can result in unreliable conclusions, especially when we are looking at the changeability of direction in unsettled investigations. The challenges we encounter arise from the inherent dynamics of disciplinary and experimental objectives in research practice. In this paper we discuss how these dynamics inform the evaluation of empirical success by analyzing three of its requirements: data accommodation, instrumental reliability, and predictive power. We conclude that the assessment of empirical success in developing inquiry is set against the background of a model's interactive success and prospective value in an experimental context. Our argument is exemplified by the analysis of an apparent controversy surrounding the model of a quantum nose in research on olfaction. Notably, the public narrative of this controversy rests on a distorted perspective on measures of empirical success. Copyright © 2018 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Integrating Critical Thinking about Values into an Introductory Geoscience Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacobucci, Margaret M.

2013-01-01

This paper presents an instructional strategy for engaging students with the critical exploration of values in introductory geoscience courses. It is argued that the consideration of values (i.e., abstract expressions of desirable qualities such as cooperation, security, curiosity, and honesty) is an integral part of scientific practice and…

Historical and cultural aspects of the pineal gland: comparison between the theories provided by Spiritism in the 1940s and the current scientific evidence.

PubMed

Lucchetti, Giancarlo; Daher, Jorge C; Iandoli, Decio; Gonçalves, Juliane P B; Lucchetti, Alessandra L G

2013-01-01

Significance has been attached to the pineal gland in numerous different cultures and beliefs. One religion that has advanced the role of the pineal gland is Spiritism. The objective of the present study was to compile information on the pineal gland drawing on the books of Francisco Cândido Xavier written through psychography and to carry out a critical analysis of their scientific bases by comparing against evidence in the current scientific literature. A systematic search using the terms "pineal gland" and "epiphysis" was conducted of 12 works allegedly dictated by the spirit "André Luiz". All information on the pineal having potential correlation with the field of medicine and current studies was included. Specialists in the area were recruited to compile the information and draw parallels with the scientific literature. The themes related to the pineal gland were: mental health, reproductive function, endocrinology, relationship with physical activity, spiritual connection, criticism of the theory that the organ exerts no function, and description of a hormone secreted by the gland (reference alluding to melatonin, isolated 13 years later). The historical background for each theme was outlined, together with the theories present in the Spiritist books and in the relevant scientific literature. The present article provides an analysis of the knowledge the scientific community can acquire from the history of humanity and from science itself. The process of formulating hypotheses and scientific theories can benefit by drawing on the cultural aspects of civilization, taking into account so-called non-traditional reports and theories.

Is Popper's Falsificationist Heuristic a Helpful Resource for Developing Critical Thinking?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Chi-Ming

2007-01-01

Based on a rather simple thesis that we can learn from our mistakes, Karl Popper developed a falsificationist epistemology in which knowledge grows through falsifying, or criticizing, our theories. According to him, knowledge, especially scientific knowledge, progresses through conjectures (i.e. tentative solutions to problems) that are controlled…

Critical Incidents in the Lives of Gifted Female Finnish Scientists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tirri, Kirsi; Koro-Ljungberg, Mirka

2002-01-01

A study investigated critical incidents in the professional and personal lives of 11 gifted Finnish female scientists. All made important life choices that promoted their talent and career development. The majority have also made some compromises related to their scientific interests and careers, as well as personal compromises. (Contains…

76 FR 71300 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing and Designation of Critical Habitat for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... be managed through conservation efforts by Arizona Game and Fish Department and through consultations..., can be managed through conservation efforts by Arizona Game and Fish Department and through... Act requires that we designate or revise critical habitat based upon the best scientific data...

"The Bell Curve" and Its Critical Progeny: A Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Alan

1997-01-01

Discusses R. Herrnstein's and C. Murray's attempt to persuade an educated white readership that they, the readers, are genetically, socially, and intellectually superior. The most effective criticisms are those that rely on scientific evidence about the manipulation of data and flawed analyses rather than the display of moral outrage. (SLD)

Developing Intuitive Reasoning with Graphs to Support Science Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grueber, David

2011-01-01

Graphs are important for supporting critical thinking and scientific argumentation because students can use them to reason, make judgments and decisions, and solve problems like a scientist (Connery 2007). Yet teaching students how to use math to actually think critically continues to be difficult for teachers. This article describes two…

78 FR 18943 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing as Endangered and Designation of Critical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-28

... relevant data concerning any threats (or lack thereof) to this species and regulations that may be... revise critical habitat based upon the best scientific data available, after taking into consideration... nexus (activities conducted, funded, permitted, or authorized by Federal agencies), the educational...

Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment: Building a Framework to Track Physical and Social Indicators of Climate Change Across Pacific Islands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grecni, Z. N.; Keener, V. W.

2016-12-01

Assessments inform regional and local climate change governance and provide the critical scientific basis for U.S. climate policy. Despite the centrality of scientific information to public discourse and decision making, comprehensive assessments of climate change drivers, impacts, and the vulnerability of human and ecological systems at regional or local scales are often conducted on an ad hoc basis. Methods for sustained assessment and communication of scientific information are diverse and nascent. The Pacific Islands Regional Climate Assessment (PIRCA) is a collaborative effort to assess climate change indicators, impacts, and adaptive capacity of the Hawaiian archipelago and the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). In 2012, PIRCA released the first comprehensive report summarizing the state of scientific knowledge about climate change in the region as a technical input to the U.S. National Climate Assessment. A multi-method evaluation of PIRCA outputs and delivery revealed that the vast majority of key stakeholders view the report as extremely credible and use it as a resource. The current study will present PIRCA's approach to establishing physical and social indicators to track on an ongoing basis, starting with the Republic of the Marshall Islands as an initial location of focus for providing a cross-sectoral indicators framework. Identifying and tracking useful indicators is aimed at sustaining the process of knowledge coproduction with decision makers who seek to better understand the climate variability and change and its impacts on Pacific Island communities.

The New Landscape of Ethics and Integrity in Scholarly Publishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, B.

2016-12-01

Scholarly peer-reviewed publications serve five major functions: They (i) have served as the primary, useful archive of scientific progress for hundreds of years; (ii) have been one principal way that scientists, and more recently departments and institutions, are evaluated; (iii) trigger and are the source of much communication about science to the public; (iv) have been primary revenue sources for scientific societies and companies; and (v) more recently play a critical and codified role in legal and regulatory decisions and advice to governments. Recent dynamics in science as well as in society, including the growth of online communication and new revenue sources, are influencing and altering particularly the first four core functions greatly. The changes in turn are posing important new challenges to the ethics and integrity of scholarly publishing and thus science in ways that are not widely or fully appreciated. For example, the expansion of electronic publishing has raised a number of new challenges for publishers with respect to their responsibility for curating scientific knowledge and even preserving the basic integrity of a manuscript. Many challenges are realted to new or expanded financial conflicts of interest related to the use of metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor, the expansion of alternate business models such as open access and advertising, and the fact that publishers are increasingly involved in framing communication around papers they are publishing. Solutions pose new responsibilities for scientists, publishers, and scientific societies, especially around transparency in their operations.

Scientific evaluation of an intra-curricular educational kit to foster inquiry-based learning (IBL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debaes, Nathalie; Cords, Nina; Prasad, Amrita; Fischer, Robert; Euler, Manfred; Thienpont, Hugo

2014-07-01

Society becomes increasingly dependent on photonics technologies; however there is an alarming lack of technological awareness among secondary school students. They associate photonics with experiments and components in the class room that seem to bear little relevance to their daily life. The Rocard Report [5] highlights the need for fostering students' scientific skills and technological awareness and identifies inquiry based learning (IBL) as a means to achieve this. Students need to actively do science rather than be silent spectators. The `Photonics Explorer' kit was developed as an EU funded project to equip teachers, free-of-charge, with educational material designed to excite, engage and educate European secondary school students using guided inquiry based learning techniques. Students put together their own experiments using up-to-date versatile components, critically interpret results and relate the conclusions to relevant applications in their daily life. They work hands-on with the material, thus developing and honing their scientific and analytical skills that are otherwise latent in a typical class room situation. A qualitative and quantitative study of the impact of the kit in the classroom was undertaken with 50 kits tested in 7 EU countries with over 1500 students in the local language. This paper reports on the results of the EU wide field tests that show the positive impact of the kit in raising the self-efficacy, scientific skills and interest in science among students and the effectiveness of the kit in implementing IBL strategies in classrooms across EU.

Scientific Caricatures in the Earth Science Classroom: An Alternative Assessment for Meaningful Science Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clary, Renee M.; Wandersee, James H.

2010-01-01

Archive-based, historical research of materials produced during the Golden Age of Geology (1788-1840) uncovered scientific caricatures (SCs) which may serve as a unique form of knowledge representation for students today. SCs played important roles in the past, stimulating critical inquiry among early geologists and fueling debates that addressed…

Examining Elementary Students' Development of Oral and Written Argumentation Practices through Argument-Based Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Ying-Chih; Hand, Brian; Park, Soonhye

2016-01-01

Argumentation, and the production of scientific arguments are critical elements of inquiry that are necessary for helping students become scientifically literate through engaging them in constructing and critiquing ideas. This case study employed a mixed methods research design to examine the development in 5th grade students' practices of oral…

Development of Students' Critical-Reasoning Skills through Content-Focused Activities in a General Education Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fencl, Heidi S.

2010-01-01

Students in a general education science course made significant gains in scientific reasoning skills when they were taught using carefully designed hands-on activities and writing assignments. The activities required students to make use of scientific skills such as graphing, predicting outcomes under changing conditions, or designing experiments,…

CURRICULUM GUIDES IN PHYSICS--GENERAL ADVANCED PLACEMENT, COLLEGE LEVEL.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WESNER, GORDON E.

THE GENERAL PHYSICS CURRICULUM IS PLANNED FOR THOSE WHOSE GENERAL ABILITY IS BETTER THAN AVERAGE AND IS OFFERED IN GRADES 11 OR 12. GENERAL OBJECTIVES ARE, TO DEVELOP CRITICAL THINKING THROUGH THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, TO UNDERSTAND BASIC PHYSICAL LAWS AND MAN'S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE, AND TO DEVELOP A SCIENTIFIC ABILITY AND INTEREST. ELEVEN UNITS OF…

Doing Peer Review and Receiving Feedback: Impact on Scientific Literacy and Writing Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geithner, Christina A.; Pollastro, Alexandria N.

2016-01-01

Doing peer review has been effectively implemented to help students develop critical reading and writing skills; however, its application in Human Physiology programs is limited. The purpose of the present study was to determine the impact of peer review on Human Physiology majors' perceptions of their scientific literacy and writing skills.…

Errors in Science and Their Treatment in Teaching Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kipnis, Nahum

2011-01-01

This paper analyses the real origin and nature of scientific errors against claims of science critics, by examining a number of examples from the history of electricity and optics. This analysis leads to a conclusion that errors are a natural and unavoidable part of scientific process. If made available to students, through their science teachers,…

Expansive Learning: Benefits and Limitations of Subject-Scientific Learning Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grotluschen, Anke

2005-01-01

One critical learning theory that has survived is once again being acclaimed. Subject-scientific theory requires learners to be taken seriously. Their reasons and resistance need to be brought into the open. This requirement was too radical for schools since it does not allow a fixed syllabus. It has borne fruit, however, in continuing education.…

Using a Simple "Escherichia Coli" Growth Curve Model to Teach the Scientific Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKernan, Lisa N.

2015-01-01

The challenge of teaching in the sciences is not only conveying knowledge in the discipline, but also developing essential critical thinking, data analysis, and scientific writing skills. I outline an exercise that can be done easily as part of a microbiology laboratory course. It teaches the nature of the research process, from asking questions…

Developing a Critical Dialog for Educational Technology: Understanding the Nature of Technology and the Legacy of Scientific Management in Our Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frizelle, Thomas Kenneth

2012-01-01

This dissertation examines the legacy of scientific management and the dominance of one-dimensional thinking in the field of educational technology. Through this analysis, I demonstrate that the ways practitioners and policymakers frame educational technology, assess its effectiveness, and make judgments about its potential, often exclude…

Exploring the Effects of Communication Framed by Environmental Concern in Informal Science Education Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yocco, Victor S.

2010-01-01

Informal science education (ISE) venues such as zoos, nature centers, parks, and natural history museums play a critical role in allowing the general public to learn scientific concepts (National Research Council, 2009; 2010). Most adult learning of scientific concepts takes place outside of classrooms and away from work (Rennie and Williams,…

Teaching Anthropogenic Climate Change through Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Helping Students Think Critically about Science and Ethics in Dialogue

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Todd, Claire; O'Brien, Kevin J.

2016-01-01

Anthropogenic climate change is a complicated issue involving scientific data and analyses as well as political, economic, and ethical issues. In order to capture this complexity, we developed an interdisciplinary student and faculty collaboration by (1) offering introductory lectures on scientific and ethical methods to two classes, (2) assigning…

An STS Approach to Organizing a Secondary Science Methods Course: Preliminary Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dass, Pradeep M.

The current agenda in science education calls for science instruction that enhances student understanding of the nature of scientific enterprise, enables students to critically analyze scientific information as well as apply it in real-life situations, and sets them on a path of lifelong learning in science. In order to prepare teachers who can…

Using Discrepant Events in Science Demonstrations to Promote Student Engagement in Scientific Investigations: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mancuso, Vincent J.

2010-01-01

Students' scientific investigations have been identified in national standards and related reform documents as a critical component of students' learning experiences in school, yet it is not easy to implement them in science classrooms. Could science demonstrations help science teachers put this recommendation into practice? While demonstrations…

Qualitative Epistemology: A Scientific Platform for the Study of Subjectivity from a Cultural-Historical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patiño, José Fernando; Goulart, Daniel Magalhães

2016-01-01

This article contributes to the platform of thought proposed by González Rey in the development of qualitative epistemology and the theory of subjectivity. We discuss three core aspects: firstly, the general epistemological problems of modern science, with its non-critical, non-theoretical scientific ideals, and low reflexivity; secondly, we…

Analysis of the Educational Implications of the Concept of Scientific Revolutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prather, J. Preston

This paper is based on the work of Thomas Kuhn, a physicist turned philosopher and historian of science. In his book, "The Structure of Scientific Revolution," he posited a new concept of the nature and history of science and strongly criticized the current textbook tradition of science education. This study analyzed Kuhn's concept of…

An intensive primary-literature-based teaching program directly benefits undergraduate science majors and facilitates their transition to doctoral programs.

PubMed

Kozeracki, Carol A; Carey, Michael F; Colicelli, John; Levis-Fitzgerald, Marc; Grossel, Martha

2006-01-01

UCLA's Howard Hughes Undergraduate Research Program (HHURP), a collaboration between the College of Letters and Science and the School of Medicine, trains a group of highly motivated undergraduates through mentored research enhanced by a rigorous seminar course. The course is centered on the presentation and critical analysis of scientific journal articles as well as the students' own research. This article describes the components and objectives of the HHURP and discusses the results of three program assessments: annual student evaluations, interviews with UCLA professors who served as research advisors for HHURP scholars, and a survey of program alumni. Students indicate that the program increased their ability to read and present primary scientific research and to present their own research and enhanced their research experience at UCLA. After graduating, they find their involvement in the HHURP helped them in securing admission to the graduate program of their choice and provided them with an advantage over their peers in the interactive seminars that are the foundation of graduate education. On the basis of the assessment of the program from 1998-1999 to 2004-2005, we conclude that an intensive literature-based training program increases student confidence and scientific literacy during their undergraduate years and facilitates their transition to postgraduate study.

How Do We Ensure Research and Scientific Integrity? A Diverse Panel Discusses the Critical Components and Challenges of Crafting and Implementing Effective Scientific Integrity Policies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werkheiser, W. H.

2016-12-01

10 Years of Scientific Integrity Policy at the U.S. Geological Survey The U.S. Geological Survey implemented its first scientific integrity policy in January 2007. Following the 2009 and 2010 executive memoranda aimed at creating scientific integrity policies throughout the federal government, USGS' policy served as a template to inform the U.S. Department of Interior's policy set forth in January 2011. Scientific integrity policy at the USGS and DOI continues to evolve as best practices come to the fore and the broader Federal scientific integrity community evolves in its understanding of a vital and expanding endeavor. We find that scientific integrity is best served by: formal and informal mechanisms through which to resolve scientific integrity issues; a well-communicated and enforceable code of scientific conduct that is accessible to multiple audiences; an unfailing commitment to the code on the part of all parties; awareness through mandatory training; robust protection to encourage whistleblowers to come forward; and outreach with the scientific integrity community to foster consistency and share experiences.

How Do We Ensure Research and Scientific Integrity? A Diverse Panel Discusses the Critical Components and Challenges of Crafting and Implementing Effective Scientific Integrity Policies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werkheiser, W. H.

2017-12-01

10 Years of Scientific Integrity Policy at the U.S. Geological Survey The U.S. Geological Survey implemented its first scientific integrity policy in January 2007. Following the 2009 and 2010 executive memoranda aimed at creating scientific integrity policies throughout the federal government, USGS' policy served as a template to inform the U.S. Department of Interior's policy set forth in January 2011. Scientific integrity policy at the USGS and DOI continues to evolve as best practices come to the fore and the broader Federal scientific integrity community evolves in its understanding of a vital and expanding endeavor. We find that scientific integrity is best served by: formal and informal mechanisms through which to resolve scientific integrity issues; a well-communicated and enforceable code of scientific conduct that is accessible to multiple audiences; an unfailing commitment to the code on the part of all parties; awareness through mandatory training; robust protection to encourage whistleblowers to come forward; and outreach with the scientific integrity community to foster consistency and share experiences.

Evaluating in political turmoil: nursing challenges in prevention programs.

PubMed

Laperrière, Hélène

2007-03-01

The concrete insertion of nurses into the context of an inquiry contributes to empirical evaluation research of health promotion programs. As interveners and concrete actors in social movements, nurses are in a privileged position to give realism to a local understanding of the political and cultural context of evaluative research. Drawing on the practice of empirical evaluation research, this paper seeks to generate new methodological approaches in a way that broadens nursing inquiries in community health nursing. It explores new ways of thinking about epistemology and knowledge production in nursing practice. For 5 months an evaluative research project adopting a participatory-action research approach was conducted with local community actors in an AIDS prevention project in Amazonas (Brazil) in a prostitution setting. An auto-ethnographic journal was used as a reflective approach for the critical analysis of nursing research activities. This paper calls for a closer relationship between scientific research settings and the sociopolitical and the sociocultural aspects of nursing practice. It increases an incorporation of popular, social and professional experiential learning and skill acquisition in embedded knowledge production.