Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination into the general philosophical foundations of science, the nature of scientific disputes, and the relevance of these to environmental science. Students will apply the class learning through preparations of a draft research proposal outlining one clear question they intend to examine in their research.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course offers an overview of the general philosophical background (in the western context), the different approaches and considerations, as well as the challenges involved in basic science. Course objectives aim to provide students with a foundation in critical thinking skills needed to carry out research as a scientist, and constructively assess and engage with published research. Much of the work of a scientist, and an engaged global citizen, centers on thinking deeply about the world around us, and asking questions. Without a guiding question, or questions, science (and Environmental Science) has no direction, no purpose. This class therefore emphasizes the enterprise of asking questions, with a philosophy that is summed up nicely in the following quote:

“There is another way to generate a research question: Go back to the basics. Observe the world, and when you encounter a phenomenon that intrigues you, investigate it." [Finding a Good Research Question, in Theory, Science, 2012]

Within this overall context, we will explore and learn about the nature of scientific research, how to learn to think critically about science and research contributions, how to formulate and communicate your thoughts and ideas, and how to seek funding to pursue your ideas. The emphasis of this course on the philosophy of science (in the western context) represents hundreds of years of both incremental and abrupt advancements in how humans think about the natural world. As a result, it is realistic to expect that together we will only scratch the surface of what truly is a vast body of work. We will also spend some time exploring Indigenous Knowledge in the context of Environmental Science. At the end of the term students will have a solid foundation in the basics of being a scientist, and each will be well positioned to embark on your research
journey, and embrace a lifetime of learning.

EVSC 601 is developed around three themes that we will advance through with selected readings, discussion and assignments, and pursued in the following order:

1. What is science?
Science is the formal testing of hypotheses, developed based on prior observations or from existing and new theory [mathematical and otherwise]. But prior to hypotheses comes a research question. A question that is distilled down to the simplest possible form, and for the specific subject of interest. In this theme we will explore the underpinnings of science, and develop a basic understanding of how scientists approach their work. You will gain a fuller appreciation for the limitations of science, how advancement occurs, and how the science enterprise is a reflection of the so called scientific revolution centred in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Consequently, science as we know it today is missing important foundational perspectives from Indigenous peoples around the world, as well as many other cultures. These gaps are presently being explored by a cross-section of researchers.

2. How are science and learning pursued?
Science is pursued through three main activities: (1) fieldbased data and information collection, (2) physical and numerical experiments, and (3) theoretical analysis and development. At any given time scientists can utilize all three activities, or focus on one particular mode of learning. In this second theme of the course we will explore data collected during a physical experiment so students can go through the process of figuring out how examine and analyze data, with some emphasis on basic analysis techniques and statistics. The purpose of working with real data is to bring discussed concepts to life, and give students the space to learn when the original ideas were not their own.

3. How are scientific ideas communicated?
Science is as much about communication as it is about the actual doing of science. Scientists communicate in any number of ways including through funding proposals, media interactions, popular science summaries and research publications (both short and long). In this third theme of the course students will learn about the writing impactful proposals, how to prepare for media communications, and how to summarize your science journey in a research publication.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. Explain what science is and is not. Explain the basics of the scientific method, where it can lead us, and where it cannot lead us. Explain and implement one way to develop focused research questions.
2. Understand and explain the different and most common methods used to conduct science (in the western context). Explain at least one method used to design experiments. Use data from an experiment and draw basic conclusions, placing the results in the proper statistical context.
3. Understand how to critically evaluate scientific contributions, and how to identify existing knowledge gaps. Understand how to document and summarize review of scientific contributions, in order to explain the work to your colleagues.
4. Understand the basic components of a good research proposal, how to distill and synthesize science for media interactions, and how to approach development of a scientific manuscript including the general components, completion of literature review and representing your ideas with the utmost of integrity.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

EVSC 601 does not have a required textbook. Instead, the course is built around readings from published and unpublished scientific research, and chapters from relevant textbooks. All reading material will be made electronically available to enrolled students via Canvas. Specific reading material and the order of reading is presented below within the Lecture Schedule section. It is recommended that students purchase or otherwise access the book The Art of Being a Graduate Student: A Guide for Graduate Students and their Mentors by Roel Snieder and Ken Larner because we use several chapters from the book, and it is an excellent resource.

REQUIRED READING NOTES: