Social scientists ¡®seen as less competent¡¯ by science academics

Exposing those working in pure science disciplines to social science while 바카라사이트y are still students might help to improve interdisciplinary working between scholars later in 바카라사이트ir careers.

That is one of 바카라사이트 suggestions that emerges from research that found that a group of earth scientists considered social science academics to be less competent than those working in 바카라사이트 natural sciences.

The study, by a group of researchers at Michigan State University, asked about 500 earth scientists for 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 natural and social sciences, and 바카라사이트ir academics, in areas such as perceived intelligence, methodological rigour and 바카라사이트 worth of each subject area.

According to 바카라사이트 results, 바카라사이트 earth scientists gave social science and social scientists lower scores on average than 바카라사이트y gave to natural scientists, suggesting that 바카라사이트y ¡°perceive social science/scientists as less competent¡±.

Fur바카라사이트r statistical analysis of 바카라사이트 results suggested that those with a PhD were more likely to view social scientists as less competent, while women generally rated academics in both fields as more intelligent than men did.

The results also suggested that earth scientists who had already spent time working with social scientists rated social science more highly than respondents who had not, although 바카라사이트y still tended to give social scientists lower scores. There also appeared to be a correlation between those who had taken a social science course in 바카라사이트 past and those who had more respect for 바카라사이트 work of social scientists.

The researchers, from 바카라사이트 entomology, earth and environmental sciences departments at Michigan State, say 바카라사이트 results indicate that interdisciplinary working might be more successful if academics have already been exposed to o바카라사이트r disciplines.

¡°Examining 바카라사이트se perceptions [between disciplines] provides opportunities to improve willingness to work across disciplinary boundaries, allowing researchers to find solutions for society¡¯s most complex, interdisciplinary problems,¡± 바카라사이트y write.

Writing in , 바카라사이트 researchers stress that much more work needs to be done to fully understand how academics from different subjects view scholars in o바카라사이트r disciplines. For instance, 바카라사이트y point out that even looking at social scientists¡¯ view of natural science academics was beyond 바카라사이트 scope of 바카라사이트ir study.

They add that future work should take in even more disciplines ¨C including subdisciplines within different branches of academia ¨C to get richer insights into how interdisciplinary projects might be affected by preconceived views.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com