Scientificness

Scientificness refers to the quality or degree to which inquiries, methods, and claims align with the norms and practices of science. It is commonly used as an evaluative standard in assessing how closely a study adheres to scientific norms.

Core features typically include empirical grounding, testability, falsifiability, replicability, methodological rigor, and transparency in procedures and data. A scientific claim is expected to be based on observable evidence and to be open to scrutiny and replication by others.

Philosophical discussions of scientificness often invoke demarcation criteria such as falsifiability and reliance on empirical evidence to distinguish science from pseudoscience. Participation in peer review, critical discourse, and the accumulation of supporting evidence by a scientific community also contribute to perceived scientificness.

In practice, scientists aim to enhance scientificness through preregistration of methods, robust experimental design, sufficient statistical power, open data and code, and replication attempts. However, pressures such as publication bias and the replication crisis illustrate that scientificness is an aspirational standard rather than a fixed attribute.

It is important to recognize that scientificness is context-dependent and evolves with methodological advances and disciplinary norms. It functions as a heuristic for evaluating research quality and is used in areas ranging from policy assessment to education and funding decisions.