Shkencat

Shkencat, in the Albanian language, refer to the sciences—the organized body of knowledge and the methods by which humans seek to understand the natural world, the social world, and the abstract structures of logic and computation. The term encompasses both disciplines and the institutional activity of research and education.

Shkencat are commonly divided into three broad groups: natyrale (natural sciences), formale (formal sciences), and shoqërore (social sciences). Shkencat natyrale include branches such as fizik, kimia, biologi, geologji, and astronomi. Shkencat formale cover matematika, logjika, dhe informatikë. Shkencat shoqërore study human societies and behavior, including sociologji, psikologji, ekonomi, antropologji, dhe politologji. Shkencat e aplikuara apply the methods and findings of the other branches to practical problems, in areas like mjekësi, inxhinieri, bujqësi, dhe mjedis.

The scientific method lies at the core of Shkencat: formulating hypotheses, performing observations and controlled experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and developing theories that explain phenomena and make predictions. Research results are typically validated through peer review, replication, and critical scrutiny.

Educational systems and research organizations—universities, academies, and public or private laboratories—organize and advance Shkencat, disseminating discoveries through journals, conferences, and policy dialogue. Shkencat have driven technological progress, medical advances, and evidence-based governance, while promoting critical thinking and methodological rigor.

See also: Akademia e Shkencave të Shqipërisë; History of science; Scientific method.