Introduction

This class provides an introduction to the course, both in terms of logistics and content. Please come to class having read the readings listed below and prepared to discuss both the readings and the following questions:

• What is research? What is the point of doing it?

• Why do we need research methods (and by extension, a course in it)?

• What is epistemology and ontology and why do we care?

• Is a separate science of man needed? Or could the social sciences be folded under biology? 

• Avoiding the trap of junk science (btw, can you think of any examples? this could be one)

The format for today's class will be free-flowing discussion. Come prepared with a point of view on each of these questions.

Class notes

• Notes/comments from today's class

Primary Readings

• Gilovich, T. 1991. How we know what isn't so. Free Press. pp 1-21. [online]

• Reynolds, P.C. 1991. "Bloody Stumps" in Stealing Fire:  The Atomic Bomb as Symbolic Body. Palo Alto, CA: Iconic  Anthropology Press. [pdf]

  • Skim for context: next chapter [pdf]

• fake news

• misinformation

• Wikipedia. Cargo cult science. [html]

Secondary Readings (skim)

• VanderStoep and Shaughnessy 1997. Taking a Course in Research Methods Improves Reasoning About Real-Life Events. Teaching of Psychology. Vol. 24, No. 2 [pdf]

• Hunt, S. D. (1991). Positivism and paradigm dominance in consumer research: Toward critical pluralism and rapprochement. Journal of Consumer Research, 32-44. [pdf]

• Presentation by Ajay Mehra

If you're interested ...

• Sagan, C. The Demon-Haunted world. 1996. Read chap 2 Science and Hope [online]

• Tversky and Kahneman. [pdf]