2. 考研
  3. Hypothesis-driven research is at the heart of scientific endeavor, and it is often the positive, confirmatory data that get the

Hypothesis-driven research is at the heart of scientific endeavor, and it is often the positive, confirmatory data that get the

admin2014-06-25  51
问题     Hypothesis-driven research is at the heart of scientific endeavor, and it is often the positive, confirmatory data that get the most attention and guide further research. But many studies produce non-confirmatory data—observations that refute current ideas and carefully constructed hypotheses. And it can be argued that these "negative data," far from having little value in science, are actually an integral part of scientific progress that deserve more attention.
    At first glance, this may seem a little nonsensical; after all, how can non-confirmatory results help science to progress when they fail to substantiate anything? But in fact, in a philosophical sense, only negative data resulting in rejection of a hypothesis represent real progress. As philosopher of science Karl Popper stated; "Every refutation should be regarded as a great success; not merely a success of the scientist who refuted the theory, but also of the scientist who created the refuted theory and who thus in the first instance suggested, if only indirectly, the refuting experiment. "
    On a more practical level, Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine(JNRBM)was launched on the premise that scientific progress depends not only on the accomplishments of individuals but requires teamwork and open communication of all results -positive and negative. After all, the scientific community can only learn from negative results if the data are published.
    Though not every negative result will turn out to be of groundbreaking significance, it is imperative to be aware of the more balanced perspective that can result from the publication of non-confirmatory findings. The first and most obvious benefits of publishing negative results are a reduction in the duplication of effort between researchers, leading to the acceleration of scientific progress, and greater transparency and openness.
    More broadly, publication of negative data might also contribute to a more realistic appreciation of the "messy" nature of science. Scientific endeavors rarely result in perfect discoveries of elements of "truth" about the world. This is largely because they are frequently based on methods with real limitations and hypotheses based on uncertain premises.
    It is perhaps this "messy" aspect of science that contributes to a hesitation within the scientific community to publish negative data. In an ever more competitive environment, it may be that scientific journals prefer to publish studies with clear and specific conclusions. Indeed, Daniele Fanelli of the University of Edinburgh suggests that results may be distorted by a "publish or perish" culture in which the progress of scientific careers depends on the frequency and quality of citations. This leads to a situation in which data that support a hypothesis may be perceived in a more positive light and receive more citations than data that only generate more questions and uncertainty.
    Despite the effects of this competitive environment, however, a willingness to publish negative data is emerging among researchers. Publications that emphasize positive findings are of course useful, but a more balanced presentation of all the data, including negative or failed experiments, would also make a significant contribution to scientific progress.
Which of the following statements is true according to the first paragraph?
选项 A、Negative data lies at the core of scientific progress.
B、Non-confirmatory data are not receiving corresponding attention.
C、The mission of hypothesis-driven research is to reject current ideas.
D、Confirmatory data are the major stimulus to further research.
答案B
解析 该段首句指出现实情况：那些正向的、验证性数据最受关注。随后表明自己观点：那些负向数据同样有意义．理应得到(deserve more attention)更多重视，据此可推知人们没有赋予负向(非验证性)数据应有的重视，[B]选项正确。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/2GK4777K
0

考研英语一

相关试题推荐
随机试题
最新回复(0)