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Verlagsinfo: It has long been thought that science is our best hope for realizing objective knowledge but that, to deliver on this promise, it must be free of the influence of any values that are not purely epistemic. As recent work in the philosophy, history, and social studies of science shows, however, things are not so simple. Values surface in numerous aspects of the scientific enterprise. This book asks where and how non-epistemic values are involved in science; it explores the roles these values play at the heart of science, in the assessment of evidence and explanations, and it examines the implications this has for ideals of objectivity. In the process, it considers a range of concrete examples drawn from fields as diverse as development economics, evolutionary biology, medicine, neurophysiology, environmental science, and the social/historical sciences, including empirical studies of scientific practice. While the contributors to this book differ on many specifics, the chapters share the general perspective that a defensible middle ground lies between the dichotomous views that often dominate debate: that values have no place in science, or that science is nothing but covert politics.

The contemporary academic environment in Canada has undergone reorganization based on neoliberal principles, and has increased attention focused on the importance of supporting interdisciplinary initiatives to address complex problems affecting global society. The purpose of our study was to examine the experience of people participating in a specific university-funded interdisciplinary research initiative. As there is a strong emphasis within this program on reporting on the outcomes of the funding that supports interdisciplinary collaboration, our aim was to explore how participation may shape one's intellectual quality of life (iQoL) and how one's iQoL could be conceptualized and understood. Using a pragmatic constructivist case study, focus group and individual interviews were undertaken with 30 participants involved with university-funded interdisciplinary research teams. Findings illustrate that their iQoL was shaped by their capacity to engage in and achieve what they viewed as their core work and its outcomes. Related sub-themes addressed the social and relational climate, institutional environment and structure, and expectations and resources. We argue that further development of iQoL as a unique construct is required to adequately measure the full range of people's experiences in academia, particularly when aiming to address 'wicked' social and global problems within a predominantly neoliberal context.