Preamble -- Introduction -- 2.1 Please bear with us -- 2.2 Take your time answering this one -- 2.3 A tale of two goats -- 2.4 Get your brain in gear -- Science like what it is done -- 3.1 What is science? -- 3.2 The methods of science -- 3.3 Where do scientists get the questions they ask? -- 3.4 Prediction and predilection -- Science and sciencisms -- 4.1 How scientists work -- 4.2 The hierarchy of science -- 4.3 Similarities and differences -- 4.4 Honest measurement -- Observations, examinations and experiments -- 5.1 Observations -- 5.2 Hypothesis -- 5.3 Experiment -- What are you measuring? -- 6.1 Variability, sampling and population -- 6.2 Randomisation -- 6.3 ... and blinding -- Thinking about your measurements -- 7.1 If you have to use statistics -- 7.2 Sensible statistics -- 7.3 Different ways of showing measurement 'errors' -- 7.4 Transformation and scaling -- 7.5 Biological systems and variability -- 7.6 Hypothesis testing -- 7.7 Post-experimental statistics -- 7.8 Honest reporting of hypothesis testing -- 7.9 Pre-experimental statistics -- 7.10 Conclusions -- Interpreting your measurements -- 8.1 Interpretation involves commitment -- 8.2 Bayesian thinking -- 8.3 Cryptic assumptions -- 8.4 Linking your prior to your posterior -- 8.5 Conclusions -- Kinds of experiments -- 9.1 Here's one we prepared earlier -- 9.2 Kinds of experiment -- 9.3 Defect experiments -- 9.4 Latin squares and other dances -- 9.5 Result-reversal experiments -- Early pregnancy tests -- Staining with fluorescent (or enzyme-linked) antibodies -- The Ames test -- The cabbage experiment yet again -- 9.6 Demi-reversal experiments -- Trichuris trichiura and cognitive development -- Cholera off-tap -- Iron chloride in the south Atlantic -- 9.7 Competition experiments -- Plants from mine tailings -- Acceptable and unacceptable sperm -- DNA competition for DNA -- 9.8 The results of experiments -- 9.9 Function deprived and restored -- Here's the answer - what's the question? -- 10.1 Explanation -- How many explanations are there? -- The non-explanation explanation explanation : RIC! -- 10.2 Believability -- 10.3 Hidden dimensions -- 10.4 Authority and reductionism -- 10.5 Cycles of explanation and scales of organisation -- 10.6 Better explanations -- 10.7 Causation and causality -- 10.8 Hypothesis, paradigm and progression -- 10.9 Conclusions -- Content and context -- 11.1 The postgraduate in context -- 11.2 A list of real difficulties you might face -- 11.3 Honesty and dishonesty -- 11.4 What is postgraduate research for? -- 11.5 Content and context -- Notes for postgraduate students -- 12.1 Where and with whom? -- 12.2 More social science -- 12.3 Giving an informal research presentation -- 12.4 Saving theories -- 12.5 Explaining and demonstrating -- 12.6 Poster sessions -- 12.7 Giving a formal oral presentation -- 12.8 Writing a scientific paper -- 12.9 Writing a thesis -- Postamble -- Index.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.