Word: methods
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Wilson and Taub do an excellent job detailing the lives of the average residents of the four neighborhoods they examine. While one may have hoped for a timelier book with more cross-neighborhood, city-wide analysis, their method of zeroing in on individual residents and organizations has its strength: it makes the book more relevant to other cities, even as it misses some of what makes Chicago Chicago...
...Over the past 230 years, the definition of economics has changed from topic to method. While economics was originally defined by the task of running a government and then the understanding of formal markets, the field has come to define itself by a scientific approach to human society. This method starts with formal models of decision-making agents and exposes these models to statistical tests. In that sense, the methodological heart of economics does not distinguish it from any other field that believes in the value of applying the scientific method to mankind...
...Task Force’s turn against methodology may reflect a dissatisfaction with the Core, which, as I am urging, vaunted methods over facts. The Core’s approach to methodology, however, teaches methods via intensive exploration of a single, sometimes narrow topic. The scientific method’s general applicability, however, can be best taught by applying it in a wide range of settings. The Task Force’s emphasis on broader courses that teach a wide range of facts is a step in the right direction, especially if those facts serve to teach the scientific method...
...scientific method should not be an afterthought at Harvard and it should not be confined to the physical sciences. Whether Harvard students are going to be running non-governmental organizations in Africa, hedge funds in Greenwich, or even academic institutions in Cambridge, they will need to analyze situations and process data. In considering a new system of general education, the Faculty should embrace the scientific methodology that will enable students to do this effectively...
Edwards’ spray solves many of the problems with the current BCG method. It doesn’t require needles—thus eliminating the HIV risk—and may also prove more effective than injecting needles under the skin. The spray immunizes directly through the lungs, which is the route of infection for TB. The new method may also depend less on refrigeration...