N.Wells
Posts: 1836
Joined: Oct. 2005
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AAAS definition of a theory
| Quote | | A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts that have been repeatedly confirmed through observation and experiment. Such fact-supported theories are not "guesses" but reliable accounts of the real world. |
Wikipedia: | Quote | | A scientific theory is a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is acquired through the scientific method and repeatedly tested and confirmed, preferably using a written, pre-defined, protocol of observations and experiments. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge. It is important to note that the definition of a "scientific theory" ....... as used in the disciplines of science is significantly different from, and in contrast to, the common vernacular usage of the word "theory". As used in everyday non-scientific speech, "theory" implies that something is an unsubstantiated and speculative guess, conjecture, idea, or, hypothesis; such a usage is the opposite of the word 'theory' in science |
| Quote | A scientifically accepted general principle supported by a substantial body of evidence offered to provide an explanation of observed facts and as a basis for future discussion or investigation (Lincoln et al., 1990).
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An explanation for an observation or series of observations that is substantiated by a considerable body of evidence (Krimsley, 1995). |
Note that your pile of nonsense is not substantiated by anything, does not offer new explanations, is not generally accepted, and is neither reliable nor rigorous.
Useful stuff from http://www.cios.org/readboo....h02.pdf
| Quote | | Concepts must also be objectively observed. This requires that we create operational definitions, which translate the verbal concepts into corresponding variables which can be measured. |
| Quote | | A scientific concept really consists of three parts: a label, a theoretical definition, and an operational definition. ....... Concept Labels. One of the requirements of a theory is that it be in a form which can be communicated to any interested person in an unambiguous fashion, so that it may be tested and evaluated by others |
| Quote | | The theoretical definition specifies the verbal meaning which is attached to the concept label. We need this explanation because the scientific method requires that others understand our theory and be able to criticize and reproduce our observations. If we fail to specify the meaning represented by a particular concept label, we leave room for misunderstanding. |
| Quote | the rules of science demand that this concept be capable of being unambiguously and objectively observed by anyone. This means that we must create another type of definition, called an operational definition. An operational definition translates the verbal meaning provided by the theoretical definition into a prescription for measurement. Although they may be expressed verbally, operational definitions are fundamentally statements that describe measurement and mathematical operations. An operational definition adds three things to the theoretical definition. An operational definition describes the unit of measurement ........
An operational definition specifies the level of measurement .......
An operational definition provides a mathematical or logical statement that clearly states how measurements are to be made and combined to create a single value for the abstract concept. ......
The operational definition must be very closely associated with the theoretical definition. It must state clearly how observations will be made so they will reflect as fully as possible the meaning associated with the verbal concept or construct. The operational definition must tell us how to observe and quantify the concept in the “real world”. This connection between theoretical and operational definitions is quite critical. This connection establishes the validity of the measurement. The amount of validity in measurement is proportional to the extent to which we actually measure what we intend to measure, that is, the degree to which the operational definition and the theoretical definition correspond. |
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