The Process of Science

Learning about the content of science without learning the process of science is like trying to learn a foreign language with a dictionary. You can memorize a lot of vocabulary words and you may even be able to get by asking for directions or buying milk in the store. But without a sense of the nature and structure of the language, you will never be able to read a novel or have a conversation. Similarly in science, you may learn all of the facts about circulation in the atmosphere and the chemistry of greenhouse gases, but you will likely not understand why scientists have different ideas about the future effects of climate change. Without an awareness of how scientists gather and analyze their data, how they form hypotheses, and how they communicate those ideas to other scientists, you are missing the most important component of science - how we know what we know.

Our newest series of modules currently under production will help bring the process of science to life for you. We present the nature and practice of science as a means of clarifying how we know what we know. The modules listed below offer an answer to the question, "What is science and how does it work?"

Introduction: What is the Process of Science?			Scheduled Release
	module I.	The Process of Science	Fall 2009
	module II.	Teaching the Process of Science (for faculty)	Fall 2009
The Process of Science
	module III.	The Nature of Science	Fall 2009
	module IV.	Scientists and the Scientific Community	Live
	module V.	Scientific Institutions and Societies	Live
	module VI.	Science and Technology	Fall 2009
	module VII.	Science, Society, and Policy	Fall 2009
	module VIII.	Scientific Ethics	Live
	module IX.	Ideas in Science: Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws	Fall 2009
	module X.	Ideas in Science: Scientific Controversy	Fall 2009
	module XI.	Ideas in Science: A Short History of Science	Fall 2009
	module XII.	The Practice of Science	Live
	module XIII.	Research Methods: Experimentation	Live
	module XIV.	Research Methods: Description	Live
	module XV.	Research Methods: Modeling	Live
	module XVI.	Research Methods: Comparison	Live
	module XVII.	Data: Analysis and Interpretation	Live
	module XVIII.	Data: Statistics	Live
	module XIX.	Data: Using Graphs and Visual Data	Live
	module XX.	Data: Uncertainty, Error, and Confidence	Live
	module XXI.	Scientific Communication: Understanding Scientific Journals and Articles	Live
	module XXII.	Scientific Communication: Peer Review	Live
	module XXIII.	Scientific Communication: Utilizing the Scientific Literature	Fall 2009
Conclusion: The Process of Science and You
	module XXIV.	The Benefits and Outcomes of Science	Fall 2009

Origin of Species The material contained in these modules is not presented as a distinct discipline within science, but rather as an umbrella for all scientific disciplines. Each module can stand alone, but they can also be read in conjunction with modules about scientific knowledge. For example, reading the Ideas in Science: Theories, Hypotheses, and Laws module while studying evolutionary theory will give more meaning to the term and thus can help clarify the theory of evolution. Through reading these modules, we hope that our readers will see that science is not a simple set of facts and terms to be memorized. It is a dynamic process that helps us to better understand our surroundings and place in the universe.