Undergraduate science research projects and students - School of ...

Undergraduate Learning in Science Project Working Paper 5involving protein characterisation using a detailed laboratory protocol. The‘scientific knowledge claims’ being referred to by each student may well bequite different and each account of the origin of scientific conflicts may bevalid in specific contexts.4.2.2 The nature of lines of scientific enquiry (Part B of the framework)In a number of places, students referred to the origins of the questions thatscientists investigate and the nature of scientific enquiry. Students oftensuggested that scientific lines of enquiry emerge from the individual interestsof scientists, though additional factors were usually mentioned. Suchresponses are represented in section Ba.Other responses suggested that lines of enquiry emerged as part of theepistemology of particular disciplines. Questions were suggested asemerging as part of an ongoing process of generating ideas and questions.Consider the following example:Interviewer: Why do you think that some scientific workstands the test of time while other scientific work tends tobe forgotten?Student: I would say because work that followsconsequently supports it. For example something majorlike the TCA cycle in biochemistry, everything that’s beendone since that was discovered supports its existence.Something else may be called into question by oneparticular set of research and so it wouldn’t be quite asvalid and so it’s a fact that it’s supported by lots ofscientific groups in various ways and situations. It’s justlike redoing the work again or using different ways ofdoing it with the same results.Student 3.CIn this case, the student appeared to be suggesting that lines of work inbiochemistry were cumulative, the findings from earlier work leading to, andpossibly being supported by, future research.Such responses are represented in section Bb.In a number of cases, students suggested external factors which influencedthe development of lines of scientific enquiry. Factors mentioned includelines of enquiry emerging in order to address a perceived social need[utilitarian; Bc(i)], and in order to make money [financial viability; Bc(ii)], asillustrated in the following example:Also, if there are problems like environmental problems,saying what sort of species are in the atmosphere that52