Customer Reviews

Understanding Scientific Reasoning

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4 star:		(1)
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This book is much more interesting than the publisher's blurb suggests. Every day, educated people have to deal with the results of scientific study. If you're foggy on why a "significant difference" is not always a large difference (and vice versa), or if you haven't quite realized that theories can be disproved but not proved, you need this book.

I've used this book since the first edition years ago whenever I teach our Logic and Scientific Reasoning Course. It is the best explanation I've ever seen of the process of scientific reasoning and why it is so successful. Students really get a grasp of what's going on in all branches of science, historical as well as experimental, and they can do it on their own. Great stuff, with lots of interesting and illuminating examples.

I purchased this book because my copy of Giere's Understanding of Scientific Reasoning done back in 1979. I have lost count in how many times I have referred to that book for illuminating something about statistics or hypothesis testing or logic.
What is wrong? The other authors have convinced Giere to cut 50 or so pages from his original. In doing so, they have "Gutted" the in-depth material necessary for a thorough understanding of scientific reasoning. What is left is a "watered-down", "Dumbed-down" book on the nature of scientific reasoning without teaching "Why?"
Material about the logic of arguments, and necessary and sufficient are missing. Missing, also, from the Testing Theoretical Hypotheses is material on "What is a good test of a theoretical hypothesis?" Sadly, the whole book as a mere abridgment of the original. I wish Dr. Ronald Giere would republish his original book or let Google Books have the original or let Dover republish it.
The new book does have some features that are an improvement. Their examples are up-to-date. In their chapter 2: A Program for Evaluating Theoretical Hypotheses, they present their "Program" of 6 steps. They use good examples to back up their evaluation program. I have used it several times, myself, in evaluating academic articles.
Should you buy this book? If you are not well schooled in research methods, then buy this book. It has some useful material. If you are well schooled in research methods but have not used them for a while, it might benefit you. If you want more in-depth knowledge then stay away. Contact Ronald Giere and implore him to release his earlier work for us.

Gives a lot of real world examples and even the exercises at the back of the chapters are very interesting.
Sometimes too mathematical in terms and processes but I guess that is what the book is about.
Not finished reading it yet, only at page 200 but so far I'm liking the examples that come after each chapter.

The book was a bit water damaged, but it was obvious they took good precautions to see that it was not further damaged by travel with lots of paper wrapping the book. The book is still perfectly legible and works fine for my class use. Book was shipped within 2 days and was at my school waiting for me when I got back from Winter vacation.