How to Think Like a Scientist

Ignore the author’s conclusions.

When you are doing cross-disciplinary research what really matters is the structure of the full body of evidence rather than any authors’ particular interpretation of their data in one paper, which is often biased. 

They can obscure the structure of evidence.

Remain skeptical of all statistical and mathematical modeling procedures that pre-process evidence while leaving little trace of its original structure.  

Start out close to the data by scrutinizing frequency distributions, means, standard deviations, how variables are actually measured, degree of measurement error, zero-order correlations, and sample composition.

Be open to have your basic presumptions shattered.

Strategies for solving scientific mysteries:  

• pin down why perspectives on them differ and what each has to offer
• try to locate the essential core of available evidence
• not put much stock in any single study or piece of evidence
• watch for recurring patterns in the most reliable data
• think through likely counterarguments
• and look hard for holes in my evidence and logic.