# TOS-H23

## About the course

The course gives a broad introduction to theories of science and relevant social science and humanities scholarship, with an emphasis on the history and philosophy of science, the social organization, and the dynamics of various academic fields, including their strategies for producing knowledge, their efforts to provide epistemic authority, and the interaction between research and society. It also focuses on the epistemic aspects of scientific and scholarly communication practices, above all their role in the establishment of scientific validity and reliability. Research ethics, postcolonialism, and feminist perspectives on science are prominent topics in this regard.  

The overall aim of the course is to help the participants to successfully conduct their PhD project, which obviously depends on the quality of their own scientific activities, but also on the institutional, societal, and political contexts within which scientific knowledge is produced in contemporary societies. The course engages with issues such as philosophical assumptions underlying high-quality scholarship, making claims about truth and objectivity, professional and societal relevance of science, and navigation of academic challenges. To better understand contemporary academic work, insights into the history of science and academic scholarship and the key features of the modern university are needed. Moreover, the course provides one of the few arenas in which PhD students from a wide variety of disciplines meet and work together, which increases their interdisciplinary sensitivities.

## Formalities

The course is given over six days, with lectures on the following 3 x 2 days,  
from 09.15 to 15.45: 

Day 1 Philosophy and ethics I (Thomas, Jonathan): 20.09.
Day 2 Philosophy and ethics II (Mattias, May): 21.09.

Day 3 Science as institution and practice I (Terje, Govert): 04.10.
Day 4 Science as institution and practice II (Knut, Thomas): 05.10.

Day 5 Critical perspectives I (Sofia, Elisabeth): 15.11.
Day 6 Critical perspectives II (Thomas): 16.11.

Mini-conference: 24.11.

I. 21-22 March: Philosophy and research ethics 
II. 11-12 April: Theories about science in context 
III. 8-9 May: Critical perspectives 

In addition, the conference papers are presented in a public conference organised by the course taking place June 5th. 

Venues for lectures: Dragvoll campus

The course consists of lectures, group work, and plenary discussions. To ensure sufficient engagement with the course’s content, to enable peer-learning and to encourage networking across disciplines physical attendance is mandatory and no digital alternatives for participation are provided. Participants can apply for shorter leaves of absence that should altogether not be longer than one day.  

You will be given access to the course literature in a Dropbox folder. Designated core texts should be read before the course days. 

### Lecturers 

Professor Thomas Berker (course responsible: thomas.berker@ntnu.no), Associate Professor Terje Finstad, Professor Jonathan Knowles, Associate Professor Elisabeth Stubberud, Researcher Mattias Solli, Professor emeritus Knut H. Sørensen, Professor Siri Øyslebø Sørensen, Professor May Thorseth, and Research Professor Govert Valkenburg. 

### Communication

This website is the main and authoritative channel of communication to the participants. For individual questions, please contact the course responsible thomas.berker@ntnu.no.

All files including the readings are published as releases (see the releases-button on top), where the newest one is on top. Those of you who consider themselves computer-literate can clone this repository or follow changes through the rss feed.