Drawing Warranted Conclusions

The writer of a dissertation must be cautious when evaluating the available evidence. It is far too easy to draw conclusions based not on evidence, but on intuitive assumptions or political expediency. The writer must be careful to make conclusions that the evidence supports. This holds true even when the cause of some condition seems obvious. Solid, supporting evidence is required for the author to draw any conclusions. A dissertation, when written, must be able to stand up under intense scrutiny. The doctoral candidate, under the concept of academic freedom, must not be fettered by social, political, or religious limitation in his or her exploration of an idea while preparing the dissertation.

Commerce and Science:

In scientific dissertations, conclusions are never drawn about the economic viability or potential commercial success of an idea or method. Writers also do not speculate about the history or origins of an idea. Scientists must remain objective about the merits of an idea by separating it from its commercial popularity. Scientists never assume that commercial success is a valid measure of an idea’s merit (many popular products have failed to be either well designed or well engineered). Thus, statements regarding the commercial popularity of a particular product or of specific equipment are irrelevant in a dissertation.

Politics and Science:

Scientists also avoid political influence when assessing ideas. A scientist’s opinion should not be concerned whether government bodies, political parties, religious groups, or other organizations endorse an idea. All too often, the approval of a political or religious group has more to do with political or religious dogma than logical, rational consideration of the idea. In scientific circles, those assessing an idea must be able to detach themselves from such matters. The idea must be examined on its own merits, independent of the source and of the surrounding social and political environment. The evaluation does not take into consideration whether the idea came from a doctoral candidate, a Nobel Prize winner, or an amateur theoretical physicist working on a home computer.