Gorovitz, Samuel

Norms for Scientific Activity and the Sources of Error

Internal norms derive from a cognitive pursuit of science. They are:

• Focus on the central rather than the peripheral problems of the science in in question.
• Craftsmanship standards in the design of experiments and hypothesis testing.
• Distinguished theorizing is elegant and simple.
• Searching for a theory that is closer to the truth than the currently accepted theory.

External norms govern motives for participating in and using the results of scientific activity, e.g.