Nature Of Science Research Articles

Do Social Sciences Threaten the Autonomy of Ethics? Reconstructing the Marxian Metaethical Response

AbstractIn the present paper, I attempt to provide a reconstructed Marxian response to the question of whether the social (and behavioral) sciences constitute a philosophical threat to the autonomy of ethics. I suggest that shedding light on some aspects of the Marxian work (especially the Theses on Feuerbach), from the standpoint of the debate on naturalism in contemporary analytic philosophy, can offer valuable philosophical insights against the framework of scientific naturalism. This framework is responsible for presenting the social sciences as a philosophical threat to the autonomy of ethics. I argue that Marx detects and rejects three fundamental presuppositions of scientific naturalism: empiricism, ‘God’s point of view,’ and methodological individualism. I conclude that the Marxian view is a liberal naturalist perspective which allows both the scientific comprehension of the social world and the autonomy of ethics.

Analysis of Articles on the Nature of Science between 2015 and 2022

It is evident that knowing the nature of science is a requirement for “science education”, which serves as the basis of conscious citizenship. For this reason, articles concerning the nature of science that were published in the Web of Science and EBSCOhost database between 2015 and 2022 were examined in this study in order to establish a broad framework and develop a research road map. A qualitative design approach and a descriptive review method were used. The keywords "Nature of Science (NoS) and Science Education" and "Teaching of Nature of Science (NoS) and Science Education" were used. The majority of the 107 articles on the nature of science that have been examined preferred qualitative research designs, and "Science & Education" is the publication that has published the most articles on the subject in 2017-2018-2020, pre-service teachers were mostly preferred as the sample group, it was applied to groups of “21-50” people as the sample group, open reflective approach was preferred as the teaching approach, the most commonly used method-technique was “discussion”, the activities used in the articles were generally standard, semi-structured interview form was preferred as the evaluation tool and “VNOS-C” was deployed as the questionnaire. Studies may be conducted within the boundaries of further lectures on the topic and internationally published theses.

Геополитика как идеология

The article presents arguments in favor of interpreting geopolitics as one of the widespread types of “false consciousness,” i.e., ideology. The author shows that the revival of the concept of geopolitics, as well as the ideas about the world of politics associated with this concept, was associated with the actualization of the neo-imperial view of the world. The basis of these ideologized ideas about politics as an arena for the implementation of the “intraspecific” struggle of states is a social Darwinist view of the world, according to which all peoples are enemies, conflict between states is the main form of relations between them according to the principle of a “zero-sum game”, and all unions, alliances and blocs are just tactical ploys that do not cancel the immanent common hostile essence. In other words, the ideology of geopolitics is based on the concept of “looking at neighbors through a gun sight.” The article is of a scientific and analytical nature and does not imply a direct connection with current policy issues.

Toward a complex socio‐environmental understanding of drought: The contribution of the social sciences and humanities

AbstractThis review shows that there is a fertile field of study on drought within the humanities and social sciences that produces a complex scientific understanding of droughts as socio‐natural disasters whose origins, unfolding and impacts are shaped by both social and biophysical processes. Five cases where this research stands out are reviewed: the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, the droughts in the Sahel in the last third of the 20th century, desiccation as a colonial discourse, ontologies of drought and climate history. The review shows that unfortunately this body of work is largely ignored in natural science drought research. It proposes to eschew the dichotomy between drought as a physical phenomenon and its socioeconomic impacts by framing droughts as disasters. It calls for dialogue and cooperation between the sciences of nature and the sciences of society (including the humanities) to create an integrated field of drought research, in the hope that this may bring to the public debate convincing interpretations of current droughts in a dramatically changing climate.This article is categorized under: Climate, History, Society, Culture > World Historical Perspectives

Full process of recommendation formulation for clinical practice guidelines: Taking World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies Clinical Practice Guideline on Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Allergic Rhinitis as an example: 临床实践指南推荐意见形成全流程实例:以世界针灸学会联合会《针灸临床实践指南:过敏性鼻炎》为例

The formulation of recommendations is a crucial step in the development of clinical practice guidelines, which requires tools provided by the GRADE methodology. These tools include the evidence quality assessment tool, the evidence summary tool, and the evidence-to-decision (EtD) framework. Although there is a methodologically guided standard pathway for formulating recommendations in clinical practice guidelines, it remains unclear how to translate this theoretical pathway into the practical process for formulating recommendations and what the specific steps in this process entail. Therefore, this paper takes the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies Clinical Practice Guidelines on Acupuncture and Moxibustion: Allergic Rhinitis as an example to detail the full process of formulating recommendations and summaries it into a three-step method. Step one: Collect original materials from different sources to create EtD table. Step two: Distribute and collect EtD table, and preliminarily gather the recommendation voting results. Step three: Organize “salami-slicing pattern” guideline development group consensus meeting to formulate recommendations. The three-step method for formulating recommendations in clinical practice guidelines fully utilizes the GRADE EtD table to provide guideline development group with decision-making foundation and reference from multiple dimensions, including the importance of clinical questions, balance of benefits and harms, quality of evidence, resource required, values and preferences, health equity, acceptability, and feasibility. This approach enhances the scientific and practical nature of guideline recommendations. This paper provides a standard operating procedure to formulate recommendations for the incoming clinical practice guidelines, which aims to establish a standard pathway for the formulation of acupuncture clinical practice guideline recommendations.

Социально-экономическая устойчивость муниципалитетов: методика и опыт исследования

Introduction. The issue of socio-economic sustainability of territories has been studied in depth in the scientific literature. This concerns both the concept of socio-economic sustainability itself and its application to the analysis of regional and municipal development. Various aspects of socio-economic sustainability are also addressed in a significant number of territorial ratings currently available on the information market and published by both government agencies and non-governmental structures – analytical centers, rating agencies (RA), and mass media. Most of these information and analytical products relate to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. A striking example is the rating of regions for the implementation of the federal project “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment” from the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation. This series also includes the rating of the quality of life in the regions from the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), the rating of the socio-economic sustainability of regions from the Civil Society Development Fund, the rating of the socio-economic development of regions from RIA Novosti, the rating of the investment attractiveness of regions from RA Expert, and a number of others. A significantly smaller number of such products relate to the municipal level. And this is a big problem of practical and scientific nature, which, in the author's opinion, can be overcome by the developed assessment of the socio-economic sustainability of Russian municipalities.Materials and methods. The presented study used indicators of socio-economic and electoral statistics of municipalities relating to 2022-2023. The main source is Rosstat data. In addition, information contained on the official websites or in the official publications of regional and municipal authorities was used. The work used universal methods of scientific knowledge: analysis, synthesis, generalization.Results. The result of the study was regional ratings of the socio-economic sustainability of municipalities in five subjects of the Russian Federation within the Ural Federal District: Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, Khanty-Mansiysk – Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.

Research on Fault Detection and Automatic Diagnosis Technology of Water Hammer in Centrifugal Pump

Centrifugal pumps are important equipment in industrial production, and their safe and reliable operation is of great significance to water supply and industrial safety. During the use of centrifugal pumps, faults such as bearing damage, blade wear, shaft imbalance, shaft misalignment and water hammer often occur. Among them, although water hammer faults occur at a low frequency, they are difficult to monitor and pose significant risks to valve and pipeline interfaces. This article analyzes the causes, mechanisms and phenomena of water hammer faults in centrifugal pumps, designs a monitoring method to effectively monitor the vibration signal of the centrifugal pumps, extracts vibration characteristics to determine and record water hammer events, designs monitoring and diagnostic models for the edge layer and server side, and establishes an experimental verification testing system. The test results show that, under the conditions of simulating water hammer faults, after high-pass filtering of the collected vibration data, the kurtosis index, pulse index and margin index all exceed twice the threshold, and both sensors emit water hammer alarms. The designed data acquisition method can capture water hammer signals in a timely manner, and the analysis model can automatically identify water hammer faults based on existing fault knowledge and rules. This fully demonstrates the scientific and effective nature of the proposed centrifugal pump fault monitoring method and system, which is of great significance for ensuring the safe operation and improving the design of centrifugal pumps.

Edukacja w zakresie ochrony zwierząt (uwarunkowania prawne)

The article is of a scientific research nature, and its main aim is to analyse the legislation providing for obligations for the dissemination of knowledge on animal protection, as well as to evaluate them and formulate optimisation postulates. The formal-dogmatic analysis of the regulations in force in the Polish legal order has been preceded by findings on how this issue is regulated in international and EU laws. This is mainly supported by the fact that formal education has a huge role to play in animal protection. Unfortunately, this issue has been marginalised in all legal orders discussed in this text. All in all, the normative arrangements adopted must be assessed as very insufficient, in particular as regards the fulfilment of the statutory obligation to take account of animal protection issues in the general education core curriculum. Moreover, this issue is very rarely subject to an in-depth scientific analysis. Therefore, the dissemination of previously unpublished research results will help develop better legislative solutions and raise public awareness about the protection of animals, which is one of the conditions for further civilizational progress.

Z działalności Sądu Specjalnego w Lublinie (1939–1944)

The article is of a scientific nature. It refers to the activities of the Special Court in Lublin (Sondergericht Lublin) in the years 1939–1944, i.e. one of the German special courts operating in the area of General Government. Investigation of this topic is justified by the lack of even fragmentary findings on that court. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to determine basic facts: what kinds of matters were examined by the Sondergericht; the defendants of what nationality were in majority; what sentences were imposed on the defendants; whether and in what circumstances death penalty was handed down; who presided over the works of the Sondergericht, what judges formed its personnel and what prosecutors took part in the trials before the Sondergericht; where the lawyers involved in the Sondergericht’s works came from; whether the court’s rulings could be set aside by extraordinary means of challenge. The source basis of these considerations are archival materials, literature and the press. On this basis, original, so far unknown findings have been made on the Special Court in Lublin.

Nature of science conceptions and argumentation skills in different socioscientific contexts

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the consistency of nature of science (NOS) conceptions and argumentation skills among undergraduate student teachers across different socioscientific issues (SSI) contexts. The participants included 80 undergraduate student teachers enrolled in a science methods course at six different universities in Lebanon. The study used a quantitative and qualitative design to compare the responses of students related to NOS and argumentation across different SSI contexts. Two data collection tools were used: questionnaires and interviews. The first questionnaire was a topic knowledge one and the second questionnaire included three scenarios that addressed SSI contexts about water fluoridation, global warming, and genetically modified food. Two sets of questions followed each scenario. The first set concentrated on the components of argumentation (arguments, counterarguments, and rebuttals), while the other set focused on three emphasised NOS aspects (subjective, tentative, and empirical). Results showed that there were differences in the levels of student teachers’ sophistication regarding the argumentation components and NOS aspects across the different contexts. Recommendations for future research and implications for the teaching of NOS and arguments are discussed.

The Application of MATLAB in the Mathematics Teaching of Computer Majors

Under the background of new engineering courses, professional mathematics teaching needs to keep pace with the times and improve the progressiveness and scientific nature of teaching methods.In order to improve the mathematics teaching effect of computer majors, This article constructs a new teaching environment through simulation system construction methods, analyzes the shortcomings of traditional teaching models through comparative analysis methods, and improves the teaching platform based on the actual needs of mathematics professionals in current society. The curve interpolation technology is improved, and a forward-looking real-time Matlab simulation algorithm is designed. Through the evaluation and analysis, it can be seen that the mathematics teaching system for computer majors based on MATLAB can effectively improve the intuitive effect of advanced mathematics teaching, and help to improve the teaching quality of advanced mathematics.

From conflict to harmony: changing conceptual ecology of evolution acceptance of muslim students after dialogue in science and religion

Muslim students have a high perceived conflict between religion and evolution. For this reason, constructivist teaching was implemented to emphasise the balance of the nature of science (NOS) on evolution and creationism theory within the conceptual ecology for biological evolution (CEBE) framework. This study explored changes in students’ CEBE and how perceived conflict, NOS, and religion contributed to the evolution of acceptance during the course. This research followed a one-group pre-test and post-test design to gather data. Data collection tools used in this study included a questionnaire and a reflective essay. The study group consisted of third-year undergraduate biology students aged 20–22 from Universitas Islam Negeri Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang in Indonesia. Questionnaire responses were analysed using statistical methods, including paired t-tests, correlation, and hierarchical regression, while reflective essays were analysed using content analysis. The study found that students’ acceptance increased after the course and was correlated with their knowledge, religiosity, understanding of NOS, and perceived impact. The understanding of NOS was the primary factor influencing the acceptance of the theory of evolution, while perceived conflict has the least impact. In addition, reflective essays showed that while most students had a naive knowledge of evolutionary reasoning, they could explain the nature of science. The students were able to establish a complex relationship between science and religion using the chimpanzee-human relationship explanation. This study has provided an example of a learning method to minimise students' perceived conflict in the evolution course.

Strategies for Integrating Technology into Physical Education Pedagogy in the 21st Century

Background and Aim: In the educational environment of the twenty-first century, the incorporation of technology has become a key factor in driving pedagogical innovation and improving the quality of education. This study aims to assess the implementation of technology integration in physical education identify the problems it faces, to propose strategies to enhance the integration of technology in physical education. Materials and Methods: Firstly, the study sorted out the current situation and development trend of technology application in physical education through a literature review. Next, the study collected the views and practical experiences of experts from 7 universities in Yunnan Province, China, on the integration of technology into teaching strategies through expert interviews. The results of the expert interviews with the 7 experts were summarized and analyzed using Nvivo for textual data, and all the interview texts were coded hierarchically through the rooted theory approach. Based on the coding results, the index system of the components of technology integration into physical education pedagogy strategies was drafted, and 5 experts were selected for IOC evaluation. Then, 20 experts conducted the Delphi method, and after two rounds of Delphi analysis the experts reached a consensus, and the system of indicators of the constituent elements of technology integration into physical education pedagogy strategies was finally established. Finally, the strategies were further discussed and evaluated through focus groups with 9 experts. Results: Through this study, a strategy for integrating technology into physical education pedagogy in the 21st century was finally established in five dimensions: teaching and learning environment, teaching and learning resources, services and management, monitoring and evaluation, and challenges and strategies. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that experts agreed on the feasibility of the strategy of integrating technology into physical education pedagogy and the scientific and reliable nature of the proposed strategy.

Object of the Crime of A Creditor’s Bribery

Abstract The article is of a scientific and research nature, and its subject matter covers the object of the crime of a creditor’s bribery (Article 302 § 2 of the Criminal Code). The article aims to resolve the doubts it raises. The author presents its development in Polish criminal law and analyses the features specified in the provision: a creditor, financial benefits, means of granting them, a promise to grant such benefits, acting to the detriment of other creditors, a relationship between a creditor’s action and an insolvency proceeding or a proceeding aimed at preventing bankruptcy, an insolvency proceeding, and other proceedings aimed at preventing bankruptcy. The interpretation of all these notions is proposed in the article based on doctrine and case law.

ФОРСАЙТ ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВИЯ ВУЗА И БИЗНЕС-СТРУКТУР: АСПЕКТЫ МЕТОДИЧЕСКОГО ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЯ

The article presents aspects of methodological support for conducting foresight sessions and developing foresight projects for interaction between a regional university and business structures. The author's development, tested in the conditions of the Kumertau branch of the Orenburg State University, is proposed as a methodological support. The business partners of the university in the foresight session were the administration and residents of Kumertau as a territory of advanced socio-economic development. The main substantive elements of the methodological construct that determine the scientifically sound and effective conduct of the foresight session are considered. The foresight session resulted in projects of a scientific and educational nature in the field of personalization of vocational education, creation of an ecological and educational environment, entrepreneurship in the field of leisure and tourism.

The Role of the Polish Agency for Audit Oversight and Common Courts in Disciplinary Proceedings Against Statutory Auditors: De Lege Lata and De Lege Ferenda Remarks

Abstract This article is of a scientific and research nature, covering the role of the Polish Agency for Audit Oversight (Polska Agencja Nadzoru Audytowego–PANA) and common courts in disciplinary proceedings against statutory auditors. The research aims to determine whether the provisions of Directive 2006/43/EC and Regulation (EU) 537/2014 justify assigning the aforementioned Agency the status of an authority for proceedings concerning disciplinary offences committed while performing assurance or related services in compliance with national professional standards. The provisions of European Union law regarding the role of public supervision bodies of auditors and audit firms are analysed, and the results are compared with the constitutional and systemic conditions for shaping the norms of disciplinary proceedings. Some de lege ferenda proposals regarding the regulation of disciplinary proceedings bodies in matters concerning statutory auditors are put forward.

Statutory Elements of the Crime of Motor Vehicle Registration Plates Forgery

Abstract This article is of a scientific and research nature and covers the subject of offences defined in Article 306c of the Criminal Code, which has been in force since 1 October 2023. It addresses, inter alia, the counterfeiting or altering of a motor vehicle registration plate to use it as an authentic one (§ 1) and using it as an authentic one (§ 2). The primary research goal is to assess the reasonableness of introducing this provision into the Criminal Code and the correctness of determining the conditions for its application and its objective scope. The assumption is that the criminalisation of such behaviour could be an effective weapon in combating the phenomenon of fuel theft from petrol stations, as the perpetrators of these thefts usually attach counterfeit plates to their vehicles. The analysis covers the object of protection of this provision, the types of this crime, their elements such as counterfeiting and alteration, the concept of a registration plate, the legalisation of the plate, the purpose of the causative behaviour, and the concept of a motor vehicle. It is sufficient to use the normative and dogmatic method to analyse the issues.

Rethinking the Epistemological Foundations of Social Work: An Inquiry into Its Artistic or Social Scientific Nature

This research paper explores the ongoing discourse surrounding the professional identity of social work within the realm of social science disciplines. It posits the idea that social work may be more aptly classified as an art form, challenging established paradigms. Through a critical examination of various approaches in practice, ethics, and professionalism, the study highlights the absence of mandated educational seminars, a departure from norms observed in similar professions. Insights gleaned from the literature review shed light on the intricacies of social work practice, ethical dilemmas, and challenges in maintaining professionalism, and the limited use of evidence-based practices, leading many critics of the discipline to suggest that social work is needed but is not based on a robust scientific foundation, proposing it may be better characterized as an art than a science. Employing Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) model for scoping reviews, the paper conducts a comprehensive search for both published and unpublished research spanning the last 25 years. Findings reveal existential challenges facing social work, such as funding cutbacks, increasing demands for mental health services, and inadequate initiatives for field practitioner support. These challenges, coupled with the lack of employment security, affect prospective students’ interest, thereby compromising education quality and service delivery. As a result, criticisms challenging the conventional categorization of social work as a social science gain momentum, suggesting that social work is more similar to an art form that relies heavily on practitioners’ intuition, empathy, and creative problem-solving abilities. This perspective contributes to disparities in funding, empirical research, and the scarcity of scientific rebuttals to practitioners’ narratives, which are often rich with anecdotal experiences and subjective interpretations.

Effect of explicit and reflective activity-based instruction on senior secondary physics students’ views towards Nature of Science

ABSTRACT This study investigated the effect of explicit and reflective activity-based instruction (ERABI) on senior secondary physics students' views towards the Nature of Science (NOS) in Rwanda. We administered a questionnaire on NOS to a sample of 148 participants enrolled in the senior five physics-chemistry-biology combination. A mixed research approach that embedded a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design (experimental and control) was used. After the intervention which lasted for six weeks, a significant change in students' views about NOS was noted in all targeted NOS aspects in this study. The study found that the effect size of the intervention was large for all seven NOS aspects as eta squared was above 0.4 for targeted NOS aspects; moreover, a very large effect was noted for four NOS aspects, tentative nature (0.709), social and cultural contexts in science (0.605), creativity and imagination (0.562), and observation and inference (0.518). The normalised gain for all these aspects was also found to be high. We also found that the change in students' understanding pf NOS is not affected by school location (rural or urban), school status (day or boarding school) and gender. Therefore, the implementation of ERABI seems to provide an answer to promote the standard understanding of NOS.

A Scientific Discussion on Feng Shui and Luck

Many people have biases towards their understanding of feng shui. Some believe that feng shui is scientific, while others believe that it is superstitious. Based on this situation, this article conducts research from a scientific perspective to discuss the scientific nature of feng shui.