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Constitutive values
Constitutive values are values internal to scientific practice that define what counts as good science, including empirical accuracy, consistency, and explanatory scope. These values guide theory choice and methodology and are widely accepted as essential to scientific inquiry.
Contextual values
Contextual values are values external to science that originate in the broader social, moral, or political environment in which research is conducted. The value-free ideal demands these be excluded from scientific reasoning, though Helen Longino argues they inevitably shape the background assumptions scientists bring to their work.
Scientific autonomy
Scientific autonomy is the principle that scientists and scientific institutions should be free to set their own research agendas, methods, and conclusions without interference from political, religious, or commercial authorities. It stands in tension with the demand for public accountability when research carries significant social consequences.
Value-laden
describes claims, concepts, or practices that embed or reflect value judgements rather than being grounded purely in empirical evidence and logical reasoning. Logical positivists argued that value-laden claims have no place within scientific discourse, while critics contend that science cannot be purged of them.