Contents

• Home: Summary and introduction

• Why does the question matter?
• Fundamental principles of science
• Methods used in science
• Justification for this description of science
• What is not science?
• Good science and bad science
• How reliable is science?
• Where can scientific methods be used?
• Evidence-based policy making

• Survey of published definitions of science
• Policy standards

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• About the author

• People often say that something is "not very scientific", and we need a clear idea of the distinction between what is scientific and what is not.
• There are many examples of people trying to profit from products of dubious value. We need to be able to assess whether their claims of e.g. being "scientifically proven" are valid.
• Where do we draw the line in applying the techniques of science - how should we use science in a courtroom, or in taxation policy, and is Japan's current whaling programme "scientific" or actually "commercial".
• We need to understand the nature of science if we are to have a clear idea of how it should be used in policy making - how should we react if politicians ignore the scientific evidence and commit public money on projects for which there is no good scientific basis?
• There is the question of whether the courts should intervene in scientific disputes [1].

References

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