Descripciones mejoradas de Syndetics:

Scientists tend to take the thought processes that drive their research for granted, often learning them indirectly by observing first their supervisors and then their colleagues. This book emphasises the advantages of being explicit about these thought processes and aims to help those undertaking ecological research to develop a critical attitude to approaching a scientific problem and constructing a procedure for assessment. The outcome is a text which provides a framework for understanding methodological issues and which assists with the effective definition and planning of research. As such it represents a unique resource for anyone embarking on their research career. It also provides a valuable source of information for those more experienced researchers who are seeking to strengthen the methodology underlying their studies or who have an interest in the analysis of research methods in ecology.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• 1 Component processes of ecological research
• Part I Developing an Analytical Framework
• 2 Five processes of research planning
• 3 Conceptual and propositional analysis for defining research problems
• 4 Development of a research plan
• 5 How theories develop and how to use them
• 6 The art of measurement and experiment
• 7 Methods of reasoning in research
• 8 Assessment of postulates
• 9 Individual philosophies and their methods
• Part II Making a Synthesis for Scientific Inference
• 10 Properties and domains of ecological concepts
• 11 Strategies of scientific research in ecology
• 12 Use of mathematical models for constructing explanations in ecology
• Part III Working in the Research Community
• 14 Scientific research as a social process
• 14 Values and standpoints and their influence on research
• Part IV Defining a Methodology for Ecological Research
• 15 The methodology of progressive synthesis
• 16 Criticisms and improvements for the scientific method in ecology
• Appendix for instructors
• Glossary
• List of references
• Author index
• Subject index

Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Methods of reasoning in ecological research, and the principles that govern their application, provide the focus for this hefty volume. Addressing various criticisms, Ford (Univ. of Washington) makes it clear that ecology is not rocket science; indeed, it is considerably more difficult. Sixteen chapters, interspersed with extremely useful, detailed examples of thesis research, describe clearly and comprehensively the intellectual, practical, and societal milieu in which ecological research is conducted. The key lies in the conceptual and propositional analyses used to specify research questions. Attainment of scientific knowledge, it is argued, is impeded by a failure to precisely define the axioms, postulates, and data statements associated with one's research during the initial planning stages. The role of scientific inference is discussed within the context of various philosophical constraints in addition to the conflicts that can arise when conducting research of import to resource managers and policy makers. Of tremendous value is the author's emphasis on the importance of criticism in the conduct and communication of science, and recognition of the plethora of subjective and social constructs in which research is interpreted and accepted by scientists and by society. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. J. A. Hutchings; Dalhousie University

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

David Ford is a Professor in the College of Forest Resources at the University of Washington, USA. His teaching spans courses such as Scientific Method, Ecological Modeling, Spatial Processes in Ecology and Ecology of Managed Forest Ecosystems