Scientific method

Essential Criteria of scientific Methods

 Objectivity
 Validity
 Verifiability
 Definiteness
 Generality
 Control and predictability
Objectiveness
 Study of phenomena may be either
subjective or objective

 Subjective when it is influenced by the

scientists individuals values, feeling and
beliefs
Objective when it is based upon the
objective observation of the factual events
and not upon the personal judgment
Subjective statement: Jews are cruel and
selfish
Objective statement: birth rate in developing
nations is higher than the birth rate in
developed nation
Reliability
Reliability means degree of accuracy
measuring instruments

 Reliability can be define as the relative

absence of error of measurement in
measuring instrument
Source of Error in Measurement
 Respondent
 Situation
 Measurer
 Instrument
Respondent
 At time the respondent may be unwilling to
express strong negative feeling or he may
have very little knowledge but may not to
admit his ignorance. All this reluctance is
likely to result in an interview of ‘guesses’
Situation
 Situational factors may also come in the
way of correct measurement. Any
conditions which places a strain on
interview can have serious effects on the
interviewer respondent rapport.
(for instance someone else present)
Measurer
 The interviewer can distort response by
rewording or reordering questions.

 Careless mechanical processing may distort the

finding

 Error may also creep in because of incorrect

coding, faulty tabulation and statistical
calculations,particularly in the data analysis
stage
Instrument
 Error may arise because of the defective
measuring instrument

 The use of complex words, beyond the

comprehension of the respondent , poor
printing inadequate space for replies,
these things make the measuring
instrument defective and may result in
measurement error
Three Different ways of testing Reliability

 If the repeated study of same thing with

same or comparable measuring
instrument under the same conditions give
the same result than the instrument can be
called as being reliable
 2nd way of knowing the reliability of
measuring instruments is by knowing
whether the measure obtained from
measuring instruments are true measures
of the property being measured
 3rd way of testing reliability is by measuring
the exact amount of error in a measuring
instrument.

 Reliability can thus be defined as the

relative absences of error of measurement
in measuring instrument
 By care fully designed directions for
measurement with no variation from
group to group, by using trained and
motivated persons to conduct the research
and also by broadening the sample of item
used reliability can be improve
Validity
 It reflects true difference among
individuals, groups, or situations in the
characteristic which it seeks to measure,
or true differences in the same individual,
group or situation from one occasion to
another
 Predictive validity- we can predict a
dependent variable from an independent
one

 Content validity –representativeness of

content
Verifiability
 Process of verifications consists of
repeated study gives the same result
under the similar conditions in order to
check the accuracy of conclusion drawn.

 Problem of verification in empirical science

resolves itself into four aspects
 The logical structure of the hypothesis and
of the research design

 It is essential that the hypothesis is well

formulated and structured and that the
variables and their relationship stated
through the hypothesis are operationally
defined
 Appropriate method of data collection
Questionnaire method
Interview method
Experiment method
Observation method
Highly structured technique of data
collection help to provide precise and
appropriate measures and makes
verification easier
Criteria of Reliability and Validity
 Verification may be regarded as an
extension of the concept of reliability

 The process of examining the relationship

in several instance is called as process of
verification

 Verification determine the validity of research

 Credibility of investigation and problem of
verification

 Example of unverifiable statement

God is kind

 verifiable statement

Marriage choice and religion are related

Definite in Nature
 Conclusion derived through scientific
method are always definite in nature

 ‘The degree of political consciousness and

participation increase with the age and
education’, is definite in nature and
therefore can be tested.
Generality
 Scientific conclusions are not
particularistic but general in nature
scientific conclusion are related to the
common characteristic of a class of
individuals
 Generalization cover groups or classes
irrespective of place, and time.