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Science and Scientific Research An Introduction
Science and Scientific Research An Introduction
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.
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
(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.
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.
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 DIFFERES 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.
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