ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a general introduction to science, knowledge and research, and forms a platform for the risk analysis science. The word ‘science’ had a very broad meaning, covering nearly every type of knowledge or skill that is acquired through study, be it prosody or horse-riding. Many attempts have been made to specify the type of knowledge that is characteristic of science by means of specifying or delimiting the methods or methodologies that give rise to scientific knowledge. The major strength of science is its capability of self-improvement. Scientific practice is characterized by a set of norms and values that is remarkably similar across the disciplines. The knowledge and science perspective adopted means that the knowledge can be more or less strong and also erroneous. Research is the production of knowledge and represents a key element of a science discipline. There are many types of evaluation methods: scientific-experimental models, management-oriented systems models, qualitative/anthropological models, and participant-oriented models.
