Scholars Award: Simulating Science

简介该项目将利用计算机模拟技术来了解科学家日常选择的不同方式如何影响科学家群体成功了解世界的能力。通过几十年的仔细研究，我们现在对影响科学家选择和信念的各种因素有了更深入的了解。虽然我们现在更好地了解科学家行为的原因，但我们还没有非常详细地了解整个科学如何受到个别科学家的小规模选择的影响。以下是一些需要解决的此类问题。少数科学家的不当行为是否会影响整个科学的可靠性？如果科学家受到特定政治目的的激励，这会给他们的研究成果带来影响吗？ 智力优势 PI 将采用物理和社会科学的新模拟方法来回答三个主要问题：科学的更好和更差的社会安排是什么？不同的“不纯”有什么影响？行为对科学实践整体可靠性的影响？减少这些不纯洁行为的努力效果如何？了解这些问题的答案将有助于我们了解科学界何时应该被信任，何时应该受到质疑。 潜在的更广泛影响 除了对科学的学术理解做出贡献之外，这项研究还将有助于指导科学政策，从而使科学学科变得更好。 PI 还计划为研究生和本科生开发课程，以帮助进一步了解科学实践。

IntroductionThis project will make use of computer simulation techniques to understand how different ways that scientists make day to day choices might influence the ability of the community of scientists to succeed in learning about the world. Through decades of careful study, we now have a deeper understanding of the various factors that influence choices and beliefs of scientists. While we now understand the causes of scientists' behavior better, we do not have a very detailed understanding how science as a whole is influenced by the small scale choices of individual scientists. Here are some questions of that sort that need to be addressed. Does misconduct on the part of a few scientists have a effect on the reliability of science as a whole? If scientists are motivated by particular political ends, does this color the output of their research?Intellectual MeritThe PI will employ new simulation methods from the physical and social sciences in order to answer three primary questions: What are better and worse social arrangements for science? What is the effect of different ?impure? behaviors on the overall reliability of scientific practice? And what is the effect of efforts to reduce these impure behaviors? Learning the answers to these questions will both help us understand when scientific communities should be trusted and when they should be questioned.Potential Broader ImpactsBeyond its contribution to the scholarly understanding of science, this research will also help to guide science policy so that scientific disciplines might be made better. The PI also plans to develop courses for both graduate and undergraduate students to help further the understanding of scientific practice.