What defines a scientist?

I have noticed that the term "scientist" is often associated with holders of doctorates in the pure and applied sciences. But I have also noticed that holders of business doctorates are also referred to as scientists.

I suppose this makes sense. All research has to follow scientific principles, regardless of discipline. After all, business can be viewed as a science or social science.

Opinions? Are DBA's and PhD's in business scientists?

 

Every kind of research for a dissertation must follow the methodology of the discipline under study, but not every discipline is a science or follows the scientific method, for example according to the Philosopher of Science Mario Bunge, Economy is a semi-science.

What is Science and what constitutes the scientific method are questions thar have been hotly debated for generations.

lchemist

 

If you study a system, collect verifiable data, form testable hypotheses about the system's properties, and evaluate those hypotheses objectively, then you are arguably practicing science. Usually "scientists" are associated with the study of naturally-occurring physical and biological systems, but it is commonly assumed that human cultural systems (such as religion, politics, society, or business) can be studied scientifically as well.

Of course, it is also widely believed that "social" scientists have generally been much less successful than "natural" scientists, and the principles that govern human cultural systems remain poorly understood at best.

In practice, the title of "scientist" is almost completely unregulated, and anyone can legally claim it, regardless of education or profession. In some states, you could be restricted from using titles like "soil scientist" or "wetlands scientist" due to licensing rules.

 

Richard Hooker says