Welcome to the MAST Conduct of Science Homepage. On this page you will find links to the sixteen lessons for this course, a listing of available papers submitted by students of this course, and a list of references that were useful in making this course.
The purpose of this course is to develop the skills necessary to actually do scientific research on your own. For those taking this course as a member of MAST or SAS this is worth 3 credits towards a certification. This course has no certification.
This course requires the completion of a research project.
This lesson sets out how to choose a problem for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to gain then necessary background information for the project. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out the method by which all science is done. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to plan a project for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to design an experiment. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to construct experimental or observational apparatus. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to conduct an experiment for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to take and classify samples for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to perform measurements for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to perform elementary data analysis for research. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to account for errors in measurements. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out basic elements of probability. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out some basic principles of randomness. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out the basic notions of logic and proof. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out how to develop theorems and how to derive mathematical models. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
This lesson sets out develop computer models. To get the task list for this lesson click here.
There are no student projects yet.
Joseph J. Carr [1992], The Art of Science, Hightext.
This is a nice source for some background in experimental research.
E. Bright Wilson [1952], An Introduction to Scientific Research, McGraw-Hill Book Company, reprinted with minor revisions by Dover Publications, Inc. in 1990.
This is a masterful survey of the material in this course, written by a Nobel laureate. The material on computation is quite a bit out of date.
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