The following is an incomplete list of topics covered in the course.

• Scientific knowledge
• Hypothesis testing
• Observations and measurements
• Experiments
• Models
• Statistical reasoning
• Causes and explanations
• Philosophy of social science
• Philosophy of technology

The course provides an introduction to the theory and methodology of science and is intended for the beginning PhD student. One aim is to supply the basic concepts needed for placing the techniques and knowledge acquired in the student’s other courses or research in the wider context of the natural sciences. Another aim is to provide the basic intellectual tools that allow for a reasoned and critical assessment of results and methods from the wide variety of disciplines that the student is likely to encounter during his or her continued career in research and/or in professional life.

The course is mainly focused on the general theoretical and methodological issues that arise in the natural and technological sciences; but basic theoretical issues, techniques and problems from the social sciences are also covered to provide the student with a wider outlook. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental problems common to the natural sciences and on the general strategies, methods and concepts that modern science has developed to address these problems.

After completed course, the student should be able to

After having completed the course, the student should, with regards to the theory and methodology of science, both orally as well as in writing, be able to:

• Identify definitions and descriptions of concepts, theories and problem areas, as well as identify the correct application of these concepts and theories.
• Account for concepts, theories and general problem areas, as well as apply concepts and theories to specific cases.
• Critically discuss the definitions and applications of concepts and theories as they applies to specific cases of scientific research.

9 pre-recorded video lectures. For each lecture, except lecture 1, there is a non-mandatory quiz and a text transcription. The videos are included in the schedule but can be watched at another date or time.

3 seminars.  Each seminar is about the contents of some of the video lectures and some course texts. Before each seminar there is a mandatory quiz. The seminar consists of instruction and group discussions. The seminars start course week 3, one seminar each week. There are several groups to choose from. Group choice is done in Canvas when the course starts. The seminars are done through Zoom.

This course includes the following eleven lectures. They are all available as videos on Canvas to watch whenever you want. Their place in the schedule is a suggestion of when you might view it.

1. Introduction and scientific knowledge (26 minutes)
2. Scientific inferences (59 minutes)
3. Observation and measurement (76 minutes)
4. Experiments (49 minutes)
5. Models (62 minutes)
6. Statistics (62 minutes)
7. Explanations and causes (81 minutes)
8. Engineering design (76 minutes)
9. Qualitative methods (93 minutes)

From the second lecture onward, there is an associated optional quiz of 15 questions. If you complete the quiz with at least 14 points, you will get 0,5 bonus points for the exam. You can attempt to complete the quiz as many times as you like until it closes. This quiz closes at the end of the week where the lecture is scheduled (Sunday, 23:59, of each week). This is to incentivise studying throughout the course, rather than only at the end. Bonus points collected during this period are valid for the exam and the re-exam belonging to this period.

This course includes these three mandatory seminars.

1. Definitions, operationalizations and hypotheses (course week 3)
2. Designing a scientific study (course week 4)
3. Interpretation, analysis, and evidence (course week 6)

For each seminar, there are texts to read and a quiz to complete before you take the seminar. You need 14 points on the quiz before attending. If you attend without having scored 14 points on the quiz, you are not sufficiently prepared, and you will not be marked as attending. You can take the quiz as many times as you want before your seminar.

You will take one seminar each seminar week. You join a seminar group on Canvas, under the heading “People”. If you cannot see the heading, make sure you have registered. You will then take the rest of the seminars with this group, the same day of the week and the same time of day each week. You are welcome to join a seminar group that is not in your own schedule, given that the group is not named “only for:…”.

There is more information about the seminars in the document “Seminar information”.

Expected workload: 8 hours per week.

Schedule: www.kth.se/schema 

Literature

There are two main course texts:

• Experiments, models and methodology by Till Grüne-Yanoff. Based on the video lectures. 
• The Art of Doing Science by Sven Ove Hansson.

In addition, there are three supplemental texts:

• Some Issues in the Philosophy of Technology, by Sven Ove Hansson.

All are available in the file format pdf from the Canvas pages. They cannot be bought as physical books, but you are welcome to print them. On the Canvas page “Reading instructions” you can see which sections to read for the lectures. There are also texts for the seminars, see the document “Seminar information” on Canvas.

Students at KTH with a permanent disability can get support during studies from Funka:

Funka - compensatory support for students with disabilities

P, F

• SEM1 - Seminar, 1.0 credits, Grading scale: P, F
• TEN1 - Exam, 2.0 credits, Grading scale: P, F

Based on recommendation from KTH’s coordinator for disabilities, the examiner will decide how to adapt an examination for students with documented disability.

The examiner may apply another examination format when re-examining individual students.

A student may request a home exam, with the maximum grade of E, if two requirements are fulfilled: (1) This is the last remaining exam left before graduation. (2) It is not possible for the student to attend the written exam because the student is, at the point of the request, residing outside of Sweden and will be residing outside of Sweden for at least twelve months following the request. The examiner approves or denies these requests.

Seminar ( SEM1 )

There are three seminars, all mandatory. To pass a seminar you need to:

• read the required material
• watch the required videos
• pass a seminar quiz
• actively participate in the seminar

During a seminar you should be able to explain the course concepts for that seminar and use them correctly as well as discuss their definitions and uses with peers. The seminars are  learning activities and thus is is acceptable to, for example, have misunderstood a concept when preparing for the seminar. The teachers are there to help. However, it is not acceptable to attend the seminar without proper preparation or to remain quiet during the entire seminar.

Exam ( TEN1 )

The examination is based on the 9 lectures and the 3 seminars, as well as the course literature. It is given in Canvas on the date and time indicated in the schedule. It consist of three parts. The first part is a multiple choice part asking you to identify the definitions and applications of course concepts. The second part is an essay part where you are to submit computer written answers to two problems. In this part you are asked to account for the course concepts, apply them to examples and discuss their definitions. The third part is an essay part where you choose one out of three problems where you are asked to account for, apply and discuss course concepts.

The exam is open-book, which means that one is allowed to use the course literature when answering the questions. Plagiarism is not allowed and any citations, even from the course literature, must be marked as such. Co-operation is not allowed.

During the course there are 8 non-mandatory quizzes, one for each video lecture. These quizzes tests the students ability to identify the correct definition and application of the course concepts. Passing these quizzes awards bonus points, 0,5 point per lecture. These points are added to the part 1 exam score and capped at the maximum for that part. These points are valid for the exam and re-exam belonging to the period and year when they were collected. One may collect points valid for another exam by re-registering for that period and re-taking the quizzes.

Fullfilled seminar requirements (SEM1, 1 credit) and written exam (TEN1, 2 credits).

A student may request a home exam, with the maximum grade of E, if two requirements are fulfilled: (1) This is the last remaining exam left before graduation. (2) It is not possible for the student to attend the written exam because the student is, at the point of the request, residing outside of Sweden and will be residing outside of Sweden for at least twelve months following the request. The examiner approves or denies these requests.

If you are unable to attend one or more of the seminars, there are compensation seminars towards the end of the course. Alternatively you may re-register and attend the remaining seminars at a later date. Please inform the course administration when you have passed all seminars.

If you miss or fail the exam, you may take a re-exam.

• All members of a group are responsible for the group's work.
• In any assessment, every student shall honestly disclose any help received and sources used.
• In an oral assessment, every student shall be able to present and answer questions about the entire assignment and solution.

• Feedback to quizzes added (continously improved)
• Transcript of remaining video lectures (in progress)
• Editing of transcript (in progress)