SCIENCE AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH An Introduction Research is a careful study of a subject especially to discover new facts or information about it .

We Observe and/or Relate phenomena (both in physical and social sciences) and fix up belief on their behavior. Such beliefs on the behavior of phenomena could be fixed up by a common man and a scientist.

But their ways are different.

Commonsense and scientific approach in fixing belief on behavior of phenomena

A common man and the scientist both fix up beliefs and test hypotheses relating to behavior of phenomena: Consider the following:
Women are more religious than men in India Brand preference and economic status are positively related. People from a caste or ethnic group are enterprising. Investment in company X is profitable. Sales and advertizing expenditures are +ly related These could be beliefs based on commonsense.

Science and commonsense differ in a variety of ways in fixing beliefs. Commonsense observes and relates variables in an unsystematic i.e. unorganized & unplanned way. It often generalizes behavior of phenomena in an uncontrolled way. It tests hypotheses in a selective way i.e .it selects evidences and gives explanation simply because it is consistent with his hypothesis.

But the Scientist's approach is different in fixing beliefs on the behavior of phenomena Scientific approach is a systematically built theoretical structure ( with a structured design and a plan of investigation). It tests beliefs/theories empirically and in a controlled condition, where ever necessary. A scientist knowing the selection tendency of human being to be a common psychological phenomenon, carefully guards his research against his own preconception and predilections (liking).

The Scientist's approach is different(Contd)

Obvious relationships are empirically tested and established (for decision making) in a scientific approach. Demand is inversely related to price. Advertising expenditure & sale volume are positively related. Brand loyalty & economic status are related

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH - A DEFINITION

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS DEFINED AS A

SYSTEMATIC, CONTROLLED, EMPIRICAL AND

CRITICAL INVESTIGATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITIONS ABOUT PRESUMED RELATIONS AMONGST OBSERVED PHENOMENA. SUBJECTIVE BELIEFS ARE CHECKED AGAINST

OBJECTIVE REALITY

Aim of Scientific Research Aim of scientific research is basically theorizing the behavior/relationship between variables/phenomena. Scientific Research establishes general laws covering the behavior of empirical events and enables us to connect together our knowledge of separately known events or explain the relationship between variables and make reliable predictions.

SCIENTIFIC STATUS OF A SCIENCE

It depends on the degree and accuracy of the four aspects mentioned in the definition of scientific research. Systematic, controlled, empirical and critical This fixes up limits with respect to exact and inexact sciences Physical sciences such as physics, chemistry are more exact than social sciences such as sociology, psychology, economics, management etc. However, all the sciences differ in degree with respect to the characteristic of exactness.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN SOCIAL SCIENCES In social science we study the behavior of social phenomena and the behavior of human being. Questions arises here is Can human behavior be subjected to scientific enquiry ? Thus, we examine the characteristics of social sciences and relate them to the four aspects of scientific research.

1. Social scientists like the physical scientists

seek to discover regularity and order in social behavior

This is done through observations and measurement Observation of regularities in the behavior of human beings and socio-economic variables in the market. ii) Measurement of social behavior of human beings / socio-economic and market related variables.
i)

(i) Discovering/observing regularities and framing theories in social sciences. Consider the following: An object falling to earth, water flowing downstream,H2 O is water, application of fertilizer results in a good crop. Women are more religious than men, advertising and sale volumes are related, EPS is positively related to profit, buying a share of company X is profitable. Behavior of phenomena in physical sciences are more regular than social sciences Regularities in social science represent probabilistic pattern since they are more subjectivity in nature.

(ii) Measurement
Qualitative and quantitative variables are observed and related in social sciences e.g. Income, Profits, Expenditure, Sales Revenue Intelligence, Economic Status , Brand loyalty etc These could be measured with specific methods/ways and used in the analysis. However, a systematic measurement must be judged on the basis of its utility rather than absolute truth in social sciences.

2. Logical reasoning in physical and social sciences.

Reasoning: deductive and inductive Deductive reasoning is a process from general principle to specific instances. Inductive reasoning is a process from specific observations to general principles. Deductive method is stronger in having theoretical support whereas, inductive method is stronger in empirical support. A cyclical process of induction and deduction are followed in both the sciences with respect to theorizing behavior/phenomena. Theories are tested and restated with the use of these processes.

3.Determinism in social science

Consider the following phenomena in the economy.
There is a steady growth of FDI in India after 1990s BSE sensex is falling over the last few months. Cost of production of X is increasing Increase in adv expenditure has not resulted in increase in the market share of a product Price rise of car over the last few years has not been associated with a decline in demand etc. A mobile manufacturing company has lost it market share recently.

Nothing just happens All events have antecedent causes or a priori reasons

There could be single or multiple causes for all the phenomena. Very often the causes leading to the occurrence of an event/ phenomenon are known as determinants . There is a probabilistic determinism in the behavior of socio-economic phenomena. This refers to the Theory of Causation in the philosophy of science.

4. Generalization
A social scientist begins to explain a limited range of

social behavior or behavior of a limited sub-set of

population and then normally extends his/her findings to explain the behavior of other sub-sets (i.e.
S/he generalizes the behavior of variables ).
The process of induction is useful in generalization. The scientist is not interested in specific observation . He

generalizes the behavior of phenomena and frames theory.

For example:
A researcher is less interested in the individual response to a price change; rather he is interested in the general behavior of the consumers. A discovery of a certain behavior of a group of people is less useful than that has universal application. However, generalization in social science is related to probabilistic determinism. Hypothesis are tested with F, t, Chi-square and other statistical measures to arrive at generalization.

5. Parsimony
Multiple causation suggests that social/economic phenomena

are explained using multivariate models where several

variables are used. Additional variables increase explanatory power of a model (in

a dependency relationship), but it also complicates the

relationship (model) and makes estimation difficult. Use of more variables decreases generalizability since different

variables may have different impact on different population

sub-set.

Consider the following

Expenditure of H.H.s on a Commodity may depend on the following: Income of the households, Number of family members, Cost of living, Standard of living, Price of the commodity, Location of H.H.. Season, Attitude of a person, Demonstration effect, Management of the house hold, Durability of the product, Price of substitute, Cultural back ground ,Proximity to market, Sex ratio in the h.hs. Media advertisement for the product, Price of complimentary goods. Quantity of consumption etc. etc.

Are all the variables equally important? One has to identify the more or less relevant variables with a priori reasoning. A judicious decision is warranted in explaining socio-economic behavior. Parsimony in social science refers to more understanding from least variables More understanding often refers to explanatory power in a dependency relationship

6. Specificity: It refers to the specification of methods of measurement of variables

Conceptualization of variables and use of proxy variables Conceptualizing and measuring of variables differs in physical and social sciences e.g. - acceleration, force, gravitation in physical sciences. Income, profits, expenditure on the one hand and Industrialization, brand preference, spendthriftness, literacy, Intelligence. religiosity etc on the other. We use proxy variables in social sciences when we do not have a set measuring standard.

7. Empirical verification
Formulation of general laws or models are not useful unless they can

be verified through collection and manipulation of data.

Explanation of models must make sense and they must correspond to what is being actually studied/observed. E.g. Expenditure = f ( Income) Brand Loyalty = f (Awareness and Economic Status) Economic Development = f (Industrialization) Relationship is meaningless unless variables are specified and data could be collected on them.

8. Inter-subjectivity
SUBJECTIVITY :DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOCIAL SCIENTISTS.

Inter-subjectivity refers to situations in which different

social scientists will arrive at different conclusions using their own ideas and perceptions on variables and their relationships. But when the study is replicated using a reported design and methodology the ideas may converge. If it is not, then there is a paradigm shift or change in the theory.

9. Modifications/Restatement of Theories
Physical and social sciences are open to countless

modification and restatement of theories.

Recent research in physics ( Atoms Large Hadron Collider) New research findings in medical sciences & other physical sciences. Large number of modifications/restatement of in the theories of social sciences such as psycholology,economics,management.

Scientific Research and Social Sciences A Concluding Remark

The characteristics of social science suggest that scientific research is possible in the field of social sciences to some extent when the four aspects of scientific research are considered.
Subjective beliefs are checked against objective reality in

social science but the process and out come are less exact as compared to the physical sciences.
The degree of exactness differs with respect to the

nature of different social sciences such as economics, management, psychology, education, sociology, philosophy etc.