Contents
Abbreviations
1 Preamble
2 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
3 Science like what 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
4 Science and sciencisms
4.1 How scientists work
4.2 The hierarchy of science
4.3 Similarities and differences
4.4 Honest measurement
5 Observations, examinations and experiments
5.1 Observations
5.2 Hypothesis
5.3 Experiment
6 What are you measuring?
6.1 Variability, sampling and population
6.2 Randomisation...
6.3 ... and blinding
7 Thinking about your measurements
7.1 If you have to use statistics
7.2 Sensible statistics
7.3 Different ways of showing measurement XE "measurement" 'error XE "measurement error" s'
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 XE "hypothesis" testing
7.9 Pre-experimental statistics
7.10 Conclusions
8 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
9 Kinds of experiments XE "Experiment"
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 XE "pregnancy" tests
Staining with fluorescent (or enzyme-linked) antibodies
The Ames XE "Ames" test
The cabbage XE "cabbages" experiment XE "experiment" yet again
9.6 Demi-reversal XE "experiment: demi-reversal" experiments
Trichuris trichiura XE "Trichuris trichiura" and cognitive development
Cholera off-tap
Iron chloride in the south Atlantic
9.7 Competition XE "experiment: competition" experiments
Plants from mine tailings
Acceptable and unacceptable sperm
DNA XE "DNA" competition XE "experiment: competition" for DNA
9.8 The results of experiments
9.9 Function deprived and restored
10 Here's the answer - what's the question?
10.1 Explanation
How many explanations are there?
The non-explanation explanation XE "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
11 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
12 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
13 Postamble
Index