1 / 23

Doing a Literature Review and Voodoo Science

Doing a Literature Review and Voodoo Science. Summary by George Koo [DRAFT] SSCI E-100B – Graduate Proseminar. Purpose. Summarize findings/claims from existing research Reach a Conclusion on: What is Right or Wrong What is Inconclusive What is Missing Synthesis of studies

ovid
Télécharger la présentation

Doing a Literature Review and Voodoo Science

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Doing a Literature Review and Voodoo Science Summary by George Koo [DRAFT] SSCI E-100B – Graduate Proseminar Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  2. Purpose • Summarize findings/claims from existing research • Reach a Conclusion on: • What is Right or Wrong • What is Inconclusive • What is Missing • Synthesis of studies • Not just a summary list of individual works • Focus on the body of work as a whole Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  3. Benefits • Provides a general overview of the body of research • Reveals what has already been done • Not “reinventing the wheel” • Helps to develop new ideas • Determines if there are any problems or flaws in existing research • Places your research in a larger context of the subject matter Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  4. Context • Current state of the art on a subject matter • Existing knowledge help to: • Determine if your proposed research question been answered • Situate your research in the subject landscape • Make your “Contribution to Knowledge” • Component of your research • How your conclusions relate to prior wisdom Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  5. “Contribution to Knowledge” • Summarize current state of knowledge • Characterize Knowledge by: • What we believe supported by facts/evidence/information • How strongly we believe • What are those beliefs? • Can we create new beliefs? • Can you change old beliefs? Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  6. Search: “Cast Your Net Widely” • Online Searches (Sources such as UMI) • University Libraries • Conference papers, working papers, monographs • Credible Sources • Look for valid bases for assertions • Look at credentials • Plagiarism: Don’t Do It! WATCH OUT!!! • Unsubstantiated Findings/Assertions/Conclusions Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  7. How to Create an Effective Review • See how researchers did their research • Imitate what works well – techniques used • Avoid what was ineffective/unnecessary • Summarize the study’s main claim • Be selective for relevance – focus on applicable studies • Impose intellectual order – • Group & classify by schools of thought • Be critical – find what strengthens or weakens a claim • Associate authors by points of view or “camps” Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  8. Questions to be answered • What has been studied already? • What were the goals or key findings? • Were they reliable and valid? • What Key Variables were used – (Associations) (Independent/Dependent)? • What were the commonalities? • Do you agree or disagree with the findings? • Were there any Gaps to fill in? Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  9. Evaluating the literature • What Key Assumptions were made? • Were they plausible? • What was the reasoning behind the logic? • Was it explained well? • Were the Key Conclusions supported well? • What were the important arguments and counter-arguments? • What was the methodology? • Do the steps support their conclusions? • Any disagreements on methods used? Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  10. Sources • TOO FEW • Inner Circle/Outer Circle • Inner – Sources directly related • Outer – Sources are relevant, but overlap; not directly related • TOO MANY • Focus on leading authorities (credibility) • Focus on studies with high visibility/prestige • Focus on most relevant Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  11. Conclusion – Questions • What questions already addressed? • What are the main conclusions? • What are the points of agreement/disagreement? • What theories were considered/not considered? • What was the overall quality? • What has been learned to date? • What are the most important problems addressed? • What are the most important Gaps in knowledge? • What findings were useful contributions to knowledge? Source: Knopf, Jeffrey W. "Doing a Literature Review," PSOnline www.apsanet.org, January 2006: 127-131

  12. Voodoo Scienceby Robert L. Park Reading Summary by George Koo [DRAFT] SSCI E-100B – Graduate Proseminar February 25, 2013 Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  13. Science – “The real deal” • “Science is the systematic enterprise of gathering knowledge about the world and organizing and condensing that knowledge into testable laws and theories.” (Park 2000) • Scientific Method consists of: • Testing by using experiments that are reliable and valid. • Testing using methods that are replicable by peers. • Findings that are supported by evidence and valid data. • “The success and credibility of Science depends on: • Exposing New Ideas to independent testing and replication by other scientists, and • Abandoning or modifying Accepted Facts or Theories in light of more complete and reliable experimental evidence.” (Park 2000) Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  14. What is VOODOO science? • Pathological Science • Junk Science • Pseudoscience Music Clip courtesy of: Thomas Dolby, “She Blinded Me with Science,” Blinded by Science, 1982, itunes.com, accessed on 2/24/2013. Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  15. Voodoo Science - Types • Pathological Science • Self-delusion by scientists • Scientists who fool themselves (i.e. self-deception) • Evidence that is biased, untestable, & unrepeatable • Misrepresentation of scientific principles & laws • Junk Science • Unproven theories with little or no evidence or support • Supported by illogical arguments • Deliberately intended to befuddle, convolute, & confuse • No scientific basis for claims and assertions • Pseudoscience • Not science at all • Based strictly on faith and beliefs • Little to no supporting evidence • Views shaped by religious, political, or emotional conviction Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  16. Paths of Voodoo Science • Self-delusion to fraud • Using experimental methods that are biased • Using arguments and methods not based on proven scientific principles and laws • Using non-applicable theories – self-deception • Purposely hiding critical elements of tests • Foolishness to fraud • Media manipulation – using the media, press, internet or politicians to advertise or support claims and assertions • Profit driven motives • Exploiting fears and beliefs of the naïve or gullible • “Theories” or claims that violate the laws of nature, physics, etc. Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  17. Tendencies of voodoo Science • Defy principles of valid science • Laws of nature (i.e.. gravity, magnetism) • Laws of physics (i.e. thermodynamics, quantum mechanics) • Laws of energy (i.e. conservation, electricity) • Evidence – barely detectable • Effects cannot be magnified • Lack of scientific methods • Testable experiments • Replicable experiments • Violate laws of probability • Sample selections that are biased • Samples that are not representative of true population • Lack of hypothesis testing • Media manipulation • Advertisements for unsubstantiated claims • Deception & Fraud Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  18. Scientific method • The most important element of real science is the “final step of putting the belief to the test.” (Park 2000) • “No matter how plausible a theory [may be], the experiment gets the final word.” (Park 2000) • The theory is peer reviewed by knowledgeable and credible scientists in the subject matter. • The tests of the theory are replicable by other scientists to valid the claims and assertions. • “Extraordinary claims are expected to be backed by extraordinary science.” – Carl Sagan, astrophysicist Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  19. Junk Science - Examples • Joe Newman - Energy Machine • Powering a car with a tiny flashlight battery • Limitless energy • Dennis Lee - Fisher Engine • Perpetual motion machine to generate electricity • Limitless energy • James Patterson – Magic Beads • Polymer beads that produce electricity in water • Junk Science • Lack of scientific basis • No support for claims • Junk Science • Lack of scientific basis • No support for evidence • Junk Science • Lack of scientific basis • No support for evidence Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  20. Pathological Science - examples • William Koch - Vitamin O • Oxygen therapy in water • Fleischmann & Pons – Cold Fusion • Nuclear fusion in a bottle • Sam Hahnemann – Homeopathy • Diluted water therapy • Bill Roper – Magnetic Therapy • Healing ailments w/magnets • Pathological/Junk • Self-deception (fraud?) • Diluted oxygen/theory • Pathological/Junk • Self-delusion/deception • Lack of science support • Pathological/Junk • Deception • Diluted water cure-all • Pathological/Junk • Stretching limits of science • Bias evidence Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  21. Pseudoscience - Examples • Robert Jahn – Psychokinesis • Mind control over objects • Touch Therapy • Healing by bearing touching subjects • John Hagelin – Transcendental Meditation • Mass meditation to stop violence • Deepak Chopra – Quantum Healing • Mentally control “waves particles to heal ailments • Dean Radin – Extrasensory Perception • Mental ability to foretell future • Pathological/Pseudoscience • Asked to send research work by telekinesis! • Pathological/Pseudoscience • Disproven by Emily Rosa, a 9 year old student • Pathological/Pseudoscience • Self-deception • Faith healing/hypnosis • Pathological/Pseudoscience • Self-deception • Use of Laws of Physics to apply to medical conditions • Pathological Pseudoscience • Violates the laws of physics • Violates the laws of probability Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  22. Moral of the story • Do not always believe unproven claims and assertions. • Scientific methods are used to validate theories. • Even distinguished scientists and professionals can delude themselves and others. • Peer reviews enable tests to be replicated that can validate theories. • Don’t call on the media and/or politicians to support claims – they rarely work. • Evidence must be subject to scientific rigor & scrutiny. • Beware of fraudulent claims – • Especially hucksters with the uncanny ability of mind and mouth control to remove money from your wallet! Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

  23. Don’t Be “Blinded” . . . by VOODOO science!!! Thank you! Music Clip courtesy of: Thomas Dolby, “She Blinded Me with Science,” Blinded by Science, 1982, itunes.com, accessed on 2/24/2013. Source: Park, Robert L. Voodoo Science. New York: Oxford Press, 2000.

More Related