Preregistration of Machine Learning Research

Abstract

It is interesting to note that human intelligence thrives on what Peirce called abductive inferences (Peirce and Turrisi 1997, 241-56), which are neither inductive nor deductive. Abductive inferencing basically entails an informed guess as to the explanation of a set of observations. Building on Peirce, scientific research can be framed as starting with an abduction based on observation, generating an explanation (theory) from which a hypothesis (prediction) is deduced about subsequent observations, after which the prediction can be inductively tested against new observations. Building on Popper’s theory of falsification,1 hypotheses should be developed in a way that enables the rejection of the explanation – not merely its verification. A theory that explains why all swans are white should not just be verified by detecting ever more white swans, but tested against its potential falsification by searching for black swans.

Link to resource: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvhrd092.21

Type of resources: Reading

Education level(s): College / Upper Division (Undergraduates), Graduate / Professional, Career /Technical, Adult Education

Primary user(s): Student, Teacher

Subject area(s): Applied Science, Arts and Humanities, Business and Communication, Career and Technical Education, Education, English Language Arts, History, Law, Life Science, Math & Statistics, Physical Science, Social Science

Language(s): English