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Understanding Scientific Inquiry Study Guide

The Scientific Method and Hypothesis Testing

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Methods of Biological Inquiry and Scientific Reasoning

Methods of Biological Inquiry

An exploration of the classic scientific method, logical arguments, and the use of inductive, hypo-deductive, and abductive reasoning to explain observations.

  • scientific method
  • hypotheses
  • empirical evidence
  • scientific argument
  • premises
  • conclusions
  • inductive reasoning
  • hypo-deductive reasoning
  • abductive arguments
  • inference
  • science writing
  • referencing
  • scientific certainty

Methods of Biological Inquiry

This lecture explores the scientific method, distinguishing between descriptive and causal questions, and defining the properties of a testable hypothesis.

  • scientific method
  • descriptive question
  • causal question
  • hypothesis
  • testability
  • scientific inquiry

Scientific Hypotheses and Laws of Logic

  • Hypotheses
  • Logic
  • Law of noncontradiction
  • Law of identity
  • Law of excluded middle
  • Logically impossible
  • Physically impossible
  • Technologically impossible

Scientific Method and Heredity Hypotheses

This content explores the scientific process through the Hershey-Chase experiment to distinguish between protein and DNA hypotheses regarding heredity.

  • Scientific method
  • Protein Hypothesis
  • DNA Hypothesis
  • Testability
  • Falsification
  • Hypothesis testing
  • Predictions
  • Descriptive question
  • Causal question
  • H1 and Ho hypotheses

Methods of Biological Inquiry

This course is about the scientific method and how to use it to do biology.

  • Scientific Method
  • Experimental Design
  • Testing Hypotheses
  • The Practice of Doing Science

Introduction to Science and Scientific Process

Science is a process used to describe and explain the natural world through observations and causal questions.

  • Scientific Method
  • Epistemology
  • Descriptive questions
  • Causal questions
  • Observations
  • Hypothesis vs prediction
  • Philosophical reasoning patterns

Distinguishing Good and Bad Reasons

Differentiating between good reasons, such as relevant evidence and reliable sources, and bad reasons, such as irrelevant evidence and unsound logical arguments.

  • Good Reasons
  • Bad Reasons
  • Relevant evidence
  • Reliable sources
  • Sound logical arguments
  • Unreliable sources
  • Unsound logical arguments
  • Anecdotal evidence
  • Greenhouse gas concentrations
  • Climate models

Scientific Scrutiny of Arsenate Redox Chemistry

Consideration of arsenate redox chemistry and phosphorus scavenging undermines the suggestion that arsenic can replace the physiologic functions of phosphate.

  • Arsenic to phosphorus ratio
  • arsenate redox chemistry
  • phosphate contamination
  • extremophile
  • DNA and RNA elemental content
  • methods of biological inquiry

Methods of Biological Inquiry and Hypothesis Testing

Methods of Biological Inquiry and Experiments

An overview of the scientific method including hypotheses, controlled experiments, and the manipulation of variables to measure responses.

  • scientific method
  • observation
  • causal question
  • hypothesis
  • prediction
  • controlled experiments
  • independent variable
  • dependent variable
  • response variable
  • observational tests
  • models
  • meta-analyses
  • confounded experiments

Testing Biological Hypotheses with Mathematical Models

Biological hypotheses can be tested with mathematical models that use equations to represent feeding processes and explore feeding rate sensitivity to handling time.

  • Biological hypotheses
  • Mathematical models
  • Handling time hypothesis
  • Feeding rate saturation
  • Model parameters
  • Model sensitivity
  • Theoretical approach
  • Mathematical representation
  • Model dynamics

Hypothesis Testing and Meta-Analysis Methods

This content explores testing hypotheses through observational tests, controlled experiments, models, and meta-analyses involving the aggregation and analysis of research studies.

  • Observational tests
  • Controlled experiments
  • Models
  • Meta-analyses
  • Standardized metrics
  • Effect size
  • Publication Bias
  • File Drawer Problem

Scientific Method and Meta-analyses

This lecture covers meta-analyses negatives, the scientific method, hypotheses, predictions, and testability.

  • Meta-analyses
  • Publication bias
  • Scientific method
  • Hypothesis
  • Predictions
  • Testability
  • Scientific argument
  • Lab report components

The Scientific Method and Observational Tests

The scientific method involves generating alternative explanations, deducing predictions, and completing tests to provide support for or against a hypothesis.

  • Scientific Method
  • Hypothesis tests
  • Observational tests
  • Response variable
  • Controlled variables
  • Replication
  • Correlation vs causation

Observational Studies and Causal Association

Observational studies of people explore whether variables account for results or if correlation can result from a causal relationship.

  • Theoretical Plausibility
  • Consistency
  • Temporality
  • Strength of Association
  • Dose-Response Relationship
  • Specificity
  • Confounders
  • Observational Studies

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