[DOWNLOAD] "Ethics for and Responsibilities of Authors, Reviewers and Editors in Science." by The American Midland Naturalist # Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Ethics for and Responsibilities of Authors, Reviewers and Editors in Science.
- Author : The American Midland Naturalist
- Release Date : January 01, 2009
- Genre: Life Sciences,Books,Science & Nature,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 228 KB
Description
INTRODUCTION Science is defined as the "accumulated and accepted knowledge that has been systematized and formulated with reference to the discovery of general truths or the operation of general laws," but it is also "a branch of study that is concerned with observation and classification of facts and especially with the establishment of verifiable general laws chiefly by induction and hypotheses" (Webster's Third New International Unabridged Dictionary). These two definitions give the impression that science basically is stationary--that after a "law" or "truth" initially is established it never changes. However, as you read the scientific literature, you come to understand that science is an ever-evolving enterprise. As everything is open to question in science, what is considered a general truth or law or an accepted classification of facts at one point-in-time may not be so at some later point-in-time because of gains in knowledge. This means that no knowledge in science is "carved in stone." Further, what else could affect how a so-called general truth or law is viewed by scientists? Whether we want to admit it or not, we all are products of the societies and cultures in which we have lived. So, when we begin a scientific endeavor we take along a lot of "hidden baggage" of preconceived ideas and ways of viewing things.