Make use of at least two primary sources in your essay. Primary sources contain original
research. Secondary sources discuss primary sources, sometimes adding criticism. Tertiary
sources summarize information from primary and secondary sources, usually without criticism.
Journal articles and many books are primary sources. Reviews, summaries, popularizations, and
so on, are secondary sources. Tertiary sources are things like dictionary and encyclopedia entries.
Secondary and tertiary sources can be useful for orienting yourself to a field as you begin your
research. They are almost never used as references in a research paper like this assignment. If
you do use a secondary source, of course you must cite it. But it wont count toward the two
primary sources minimum. If you need help finding or using sources, chat with the librarians
(they have various electronic means of communication available).
Choose one of the following topics.
1. Scientific Realism and Instrumentalism
2. Underdetermination and Theory Choice
3. Incommensurability and Paradigm Shifts
Conduct some preliminary research and choose your sources. Then, after some deeper research,
construct your thesis. Your thesis should be some non-obvious, at-least-somewhat-
controversial claim about one narrow aspect of your chosen topic area. Narrow is important: If
you go too broad, you cant go deep enough. In this paper, we are not looking for broad coverage
of the area but for a deep analysis of a single issue/point/argument/concept/position. Dont spend
much time giving background explanation. Just dive right in. Think of your reader as someone
who is familiar with philosophy of science but not with the details of your particular topic.
Edit your essay thoroughly. Once you have written your draft, put it aside for a day to two.
That way you can come back to it with fresh eyes. Read it through again, checking that every
part of the paper (every paragraph, sentence, word choice) contributes toward proving your
thesis. If something is not directly related to proving your thesis, cut it out. If something isnt as
clear or precise as it should be, re-write it. Remember: Most of writing is re-writing. Use a
dictionary and thesaurus to help you choose the best words to express what you want to say.
Read your paper aloud when it is almost finished: Thats a way to detect sentences that dont
make sense, and to find grammatical errors you didnt notice as you were writing. Then, have
someone who is good at writing read your paper and give you advice. Make final revisions
carefully, thenand only then, after having done all thisturn your paper in. This paper counts
for a big chunk of your final grade, so take it seriously. I expect high quality, polished work.
* double spaced, times new roman, descriptive title in bold and centred, 12pt font, pages numbered, proper citations in MLA, works cited page (this will be on the 6th page)*
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