MET528 Scientific Methods

• Topics

  The course is divided into two parts. The first part concerns philosophy of science and scientific-internal questions. The second part discusses scientific practice from external perspectives: historical, ethical, political, sustainable, and the sociology of scientific practice.

  The aim is that students should know and discuss the most common arguments made on the knowledge-theoretical grounding of scientific practice in economics and related fields such as finance and management science.

• Learning outcome

  Upon completion of the course, the student can:

  Knowledge

  • Account for the main positions in philosophy of science.
  • Account for the role of philosophy of science in current practice.
  • Relate the history of scientific practice to positions in philosophy of science.
  • Relate scientific notions of causality to those in the philosophy of social science.
  • Recognise competing scientific traditions and how they relate to positions in the philosophy of science.

  Skills

  • Discuss own scientific practice in light of the National guidelines for research ethics in the social sciences, law and humanities and the NHH ethical guidelines.
  • Discuss reflexively the social practice of science in light of his or her own scientific tradition.

  General competence

  • Evaluate specific scientific practices with respect to foundational methodological principles.
  • Recognise how scientific practice is social practice.

• Teaching

  The course consists of lectures and a supervised term paper.

• Restricted access

  • PhD candidates at NHH
  • PhD candidates at Norwegian institutions
  • PhD candidates at other institutions
  • PhD candidates from the ENGAGE.EU alliance

• Compulsory Activity

  • active participation in class
  • one brief presentation to the class
  • term paper

  All elements are necessary for fulfillment of compulsory activities (work requirements).

  Compulsory activities (work requirements) are valid for one semester after the semester they were obtained.

• Assessment

  Individual digital school exam, 3 hours.

  Re-take is offered the semester after the course was offered for students with valid compulsory activities (work requirements).

• Grading Scale

  Pass/Fail

• Literature

  Samir Okasha (2016). Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction. Second Edition, Oxford University Press.

  Nancy Cartwright and Eleonora Montuschi eds. (2014). Philosophy of Social Science: A New Introduction. Oxford University Press.

  Papers that will be made available.

• Permitted Support Material

  A standard (English-English) dictionary (Category I).

  All in accordance with Supplementary provisions to the Regulations for Full-time Study Programmes at the Norwegian School of Economics Ch.4 Permitted support material https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/regulations/and https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/https://www.nhh.no/en/for-students/examinations/examination-support-materials/