Normative Influences in Science and their Impact on (Objective) Empirical Research

Empirical research has the ultimate goal to inform us about the ‘objectively true’ state of the world. This ambition especially holds for the natural sciences, but also extends to the social sciences. In the context of recent devel- opments and theoretical discussions, we aim to contribute to the discussion of objectivity in empirical research from a student’s perspective: The influence of normative assumptions on empirical research. We will analyze normative influences within the six conceptual steps of the empirical research process: (1) idea generation, (2) research funding, (3) research planning, (4) data collection, (5) data analysis, and (6) scientific output. We will end with a summary of current directions that may help move to a more reflective, nuanced, and transparent scientific process.