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Trivium & Quadrivium: A Systematic Exercise for Setting Structural Elements in Scientific Reports

Received: 19 September 2022     Accepted: 12 October 2022     Published: 27 October 2022
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Abstract

Experience in thesis and peer reviewing revealed that most authors have much difficulty in presenting the structural supports of their study. This becomes evident in both their oral and written scientific reports in which little congruency or lack of it is frequently observed between title of the study, general objective (aim), and the hypothesis. Likewise, confusion is usually present when distinguishing purpose from objective when presenting the research problem. In order to aid in approaching the mentioned difficulties an exercise termed Trivium is proposed and explained. This term that designated the main subjects in scholar formation during medieval times, is used to designate the effective coupling of the above three structural elements (title, objective, hypothesis) that, properly used, confer epistemological basis to their scientific reports. Likewise, in order to reinforce this exercise a Quadrivium is recommended in which a fourth structural element is added, i.e., a premise, as the theoretical basis that precisely indicates the purpose of the study and provides immediate support to the hypothesis. Examples to illustrate these exercises are provided. Abiding by this logic may significantly aid science students and some open-minded researchers in adequately constructing their scientific reports, while avoiding frustrating experiences due to uncomfortable observations by peers on their manuscripts.

Published in International Journal of Philosophy (Volume 10, Issue 4)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11
Page(s) 126-129
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hypothesis, Objective, Premise, Scientific Method, Scientific Report, Scientific Research

References
[1] Abbagnano, N. (1996). Diccionario de filosofía [Dictionary of Philosophy]. Fondo de Cultura Economica, México. 1206 p.
[2] Bunge, M. (1978). La ciencia, su método y su filosofía [Science, its method and its philosophy]. Ed. Quinto Sol. 110 p.
[3] Chalmers, A. (1982). Que es esa cosa llamada ciencia? [What is that Thing Called Science?] Ed. Siglo XXI. Mexico, D. F. 245 p.
[4] CBE Style Manual Committee. (1978). Council of Biology Editors style manual: a guide for authors, editors, and publishers in the biological sciences. https://archive.org/details/councilofbiology00cbes_0/page/4/mode/2up?q=Chapter+2
[5] Feyerabend, P. (1975). Against Method. London, New Left Books. 279 p.
[6] Pérez Tamayo, R. (1993). Existe el Método Científico? [Does the Scientific Method Exists?] F. C. E., México. 230 p.
[7] Popper, K. R. (1962). La lógica de la investigación científica [The Logic of Scientific Research]. Tecnos, Madrid, España. 451 p.
[8] RAE (2022). https://dle.rae.es/trivio?m=form. Consulted on August, 2022.
[9] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A. & M. Jaime. (2015). Ensayos en filosofía científica [Essays on Scientific Philosophy]. CICIMAR-Oceánides, IPN. CdMx, México. 195 p. ISBN: 978-970-94-2953-4.
[10] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A., O. U. Hernández Almeida & Y. J. Martínez. (2017). La elaboración de hipótesis científica en estudios ficológicos [Constructing scientific hypothesis in phycological studies]. Cymbella, 3 (2): 32-37.
[11] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A. (2021). Considering the use of null hypothesis in marine biology scientific research. Ludus Vitalis, 29 (55): 13-21.
[12] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A. (2022). Gnothi seauton (Know Thyself) an Essay on the Philosophy of Scientific Research for Science Students. International Journal of Philosophy. 10 (3): 101-104. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20221003.12.
[13] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A. (2022). A Caveat for Science Students on the Misuse of the Term Observation when Referring to Scientific Observation. International Journal of Philosophy. Vol. 10, No. 3, 2022, pp. 122-125. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20221003.16.
[14] Soravilla, L. (2016). Historia torcida de la filosofía Vol. I [Tangled history of philosophy Vol. I]. Principal de los Libros. Barcelona. 403 p.
[15] Theocharis, T. & M. Psimopoulos. (1987). Where science has gone wrong. Nature, 329: 595-598.
[16] Siqueiros Beltrones, D. A., E. Serviere Zaragoza & S. Guzmán del Próo. (2005). Main diatom taxa in the natural diet of juvenile Haliotis fulgens and H. corrugata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Bahía Tortugas and Bahía Asunción, B.C.S., México. Pacific Science 59 (4): 581-592.
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    David Alfaro Siqueiros Beltrones. (2022). Trivium & Quadrivium: A Systematic Exercise for Setting Structural Elements in Scientific Reports. International Journal of Philosophy, 10(4), 126-129. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11

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    ACS Style

    David Alfaro Siqueiros Beltrones. Trivium & Quadrivium: A Systematic Exercise for Setting Structural Elements in Scientific Reports. Int. J. Philos. 2022, 10(4), 126-129. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11

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    AMA Style

    David Alfaro Siqueiros Beltrones. Trivium & Quadrivium: A Systematic Exercise for Setting Structural Elements in Scientific Reports. Int J Philos. 2022;10(4):126-129. doi: 10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11,
      author = {David Alfaro Siqueiros Beltrones},
      title = {Trivium & Quadrivium: A Systematic Exercise for Setting Structural Elements in Scientific Reports},
      journal = {International Journal of Philosophy},
      volume = {10},
      number = {4},
      pages = {126-129},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijp.20221004.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijp.20221004.11},
      abstract = {Experience in thesis and peer reviewing revealed that most authors have much difficulty in presenting the structural supports of their study. This becomes evident in both their oral and written scientific reports in which little congruency or lack of it is frequently observed between title of the study, general objective (aim), and the hypothesis. Likewise, confusion is usually present when distinguishing purpose from objective when presenting the research problem. In order to aid in approaching the mentioned difficulties an exercise termed Trivium is proposed and explained. This term that designated the main subjects in scholar formation during medieval times, is used to designate the effective coupling of the above three structural elements (title, objective, hypothesis) that, properly used, confer epistemological basis to their scientific reports. Likewise, in order to reinforce this exercise a Quadrivium is recommended in which a fourth structural element is added, i.e., a premise, as the theoretical basis that precisely indicates the purpose of the study and provides immediate support to the hypothesis. Examples to illustrate these exercises are provided. Abiding by this logic may significantly aid science students and some open-minded researchers in adequately constructing their scientific reports, while avoiding frustrating experiences due to uncomfortable observations by peers on their manuscripts.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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    AB  - Experience in thesis and peer reviewing revealed that most authors have much difficulty in presenting the structural supports of their study. This becomes evident in both their oral and written scientific reports in which little congruency or lack of it is frequently observed between title of the study, general objective (aim), and the hypothesis. Likewise, confusion is usually present when distinguishing purpose from objective when presenting the research problem. In order to aid in approaching the mentioned difficulties an exercise termed Trivium is proposed and explained. This term that designated the main subjects in scholar formation during medieval times, is used to designate the effective coupling of the above three structural elements (title, objective, hypothesis) that, properly used, confer epistemological basis to their scientific reports. Likewise, in order to reinforce this exercise a Quadrivium is recommended in which a fourth structural element is added, i.e., a premise, as the theoretical basis that precisely indicates the purpose of the study and provides immediate support to the hypothesis. Examples to illustrate these exercises are provided. Abiding by this logic may significantly aid science students and some open-minded researchers in adequately constructing their scientific reports, while avoiding frustrating experiences due to uncomfortable observations by peers on their manuscripts.
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Author Information
  • Department of Plankton and Marine Ecology, Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Sciences, National Politechnique Institute, La Paz, Mexico

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