At the beginning of the school year I had one of my TAs stating the world 🌎 is flat. I provided a simplistic approach & she even said NASA is a scam. So nice deep yoga breath, to find out where she obtained her information. 

Now do not be shocked…an influencer. 🤦‍♀️So I said you need you to write or do a project showing research based evidence that the world is flat.

1. Falsifiability. This involves claims that can be proven false with evidence. It distinguishes between falsifiable claims and unfalsifiable claims. In the latter, there is no way to use evidence to test the claim. Four types of claims are unfalsifiable. Those include subjective, supernatural, vague claims, as well as ad hoc excuses. Avoid assuming a claim is true because it can’t be proven wrong.
2. Logic. Arguments are logical, and are deductive or inductive. There are many logical fallacies that “weaken or invalidate an argument.” You can find a list in the article cited.
3. Objectivity. This means you evaluate a claim honestly. Three common objectivity errors include confirmation bias, overconfidence effect, and motivated reasoning. The first is searching for information that confirms our beliefs. The second is overestimating our knowledge and/or abilities. The third, motivated reasoning, is relying on emotionally biased justifications. That is, justifications that support what we want to be true. Pseudoscience (ideas that are portrayed as scientific but aren’t) and Science Denial (denying science because it goes against our existing beliefs) violate the rule of objectivity.
4. Alternative Explanations. Since the goal is to know the real explanation for why something happens or is the way it is, keep in mind you may be wrong and should consider alternative explanations for why. Ask yourself, “What else could be the cause? Could there be more than one cause? Could it be a coincidence?” Then, ask which is the most likely…this is where Occam’s razor come in…the explanation that requires the fewest new assumptions is probably the right one. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”
5. Tentative Conclusions. Since new evidence can change conclusions, it’s better to see scientific conclusions as tentative, subject to change.
6. Evidence. Evidence must be reliable (was it collected in a systematic way and how reliable was the source), comprehensive (the big picture, not just one piece of the puzzle), and sufficient (claims based on authority are insufficient, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and anecdotes are never sufficient).
7. Replicability. The ability to arrive at a similar conclusion no matter who is doing the research or what methods they use.