Is objectivity possible in the research process?
Francis Bacon, as the key proponent of empiricism, is often accused of naively assuming that objectivity was possible. In fact, he was well aware that individuals see things differently and are influenced by fads, fashions and financial considerations. Nevertheless, he argued that people should strive to be unbiased in their observations of the natural world. Science is full of examples where an individual’s personal, subjective biases have compromised their objectivity or given rise to different interpretations of the same data. Often these biases are unconscious; we tend to see only what we expect to see and miss the unexpected. In other instances, the social context of research can seriously affect the research process at all stages, from funding, through peer review, to publication of results. Innovative research often challenges the ideas of older scientists. These are the men and women who sit on the committees that determine research funding, scholarships and academic employment
