"Scientific Research"

The recently enacted Federal “No Child Left Behind” act and the companion “Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002” contain many definitions but do not define “Scientific Research” although the term is frequently used. We are working on our own multidisciplinary definition of “Scientific Research” and would be happy to have any comments on our efforts to date.

1) Scientific Research starts from an assumption that the authorities could be wrong -- that best practices might not be best practices. That is a key issue that distinguishes scientific research from advocacy studies and other useful intellectual efforts frequently called research.

2) Scientific Research is an inquiry to answer a question using methods accepted as “State of the Art” by peers in the appropriate research discipline, methods that are equally likely to get an answer that pleases or displeases the inquirer. The inquirer is prepared to abandon long held teachings or beliefs and to publish the results regardless of the answers to the research questions.

Note: Whether or not the subjects profit from the research (e.g. gets well, learns, etc.) is not the issue -- the issue is what do the researchers and their professional community learn from the research. It is just as important to learn the conditions under which something does not work as to learn the conditions under which it does work.

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6/22/03