SCI 3300 Thinking Critically about Science

Claims about science are all around us, from research journals and magazines to news articles and online videos. But are these sources reliable, or are they reporting on junk? If you want to learn more about how to identify high-quality scientific documents the Faculty of Science has just the course for you: "Thinking Critically about Science".

About the course

SCI 3300 Thinking Critically About Science

Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific research and the advancement of human knowledge. Throughout this course, you will evaluate papers, articles and presentations on scientific topics from a variety of sources. You will discover the characteristics of quality science articles, and learn how to distinguish them from junk science. You will also summarize a body of research for an audience of scientists from outside your discipline, and use the research summaries written by your classmates to propose and present a potential interdisciplinary research project.

How to register

We will make every effort to accommodate everyone interested in taking this course while building a class cohort that includes a diverse range of scientific disciplines. To be considered for enrollment, please submit the following to Jennifer Vaughan, Instructor I at the Department of Computer Science at jennifer.vaughan@umanitoba.ca.

  1. Your name and student number
  2. A pdf copy of your web transcript from Aurora
  3. A declaration of your main scientific discipline
  4. A paragraph explaining why you should be considered for this course.  We are looking for students who are interested in and willing to:
    • collegially discuss complex/controversial topics with others,
    • make logical statements/assertions,
    • write on an academic topic and
    • participate in a group presentation.

Please take note of the course prerequisites listed on Aurora. Only students who meet these requirements will be considered.

Requests for enrollment will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until the course is full.

If you have any questions or want to discuss the course further, please contact Jennifer Vaughan at jennifer.vaughan@umanitoba.ca.