Modification:Sciento-2018-0005

Accept the new definitions of method as a set of criteria for theory evaluation and methodology as a normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment.

The modification was suggested to Scientonomy community by Hakob Barseghyan on 8 October 2018.1 The modification was accepted on 1 September 2019.

Preamble

TODO: Sinan add a preamble

Modification

Theories To Accept

• Method (Barseghyan-2018): A set of criteria for theory evaluation.

• Methodology (Barseghyan-2018): A normative discipline that formulates the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment.

Theories To Reject

• Methodology (Sebastien-2016): A normative theory that prescribes the rules which ought to be employed in theory assessment.
• Method (Barseghyan-2015): A set of requirements for employment in theory assessment.

Questions Answered

This modification attempts to answer the following question(s):

• Method: What is method? How should it be defined?
• Methodology: What is methodology? How should it be defined?

Verdict

The modification was accepted on 1 September 2019. The consensus concerning this modification emerged primarily off-line, following a series of discussions. It was noted that the new definition "does clarify the scientific understanding of methods as normative theories that can be both accepted and employed".^c1 It was also highlighted that the consensus on this modification "has been manifested on several occasions, including the first scientonomy conference in May 2019 in Toronto, where several of the speakers treated the suggested definition of method as accepted".^c2 Importantly, it was also agreed that the acceptance of "this definition will require a whole series of changes to other theories already accepted by the scientonomic community to accord with the new definitions, for example, the Methodology can shape Method theorem."^c3 This raises an important workflow-related question: does this mean that the encyclopedia editors have the right to make the respective changes?^c4

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