PY1103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Scientific Method, Knowledge Acquisition, Empiricism
14 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Research is…
• Knowledge acquisition gained
o Through reasoning
o Through intuition
o But most importantly through use of appropriate methods
Basic tenets of scientific method
• Empiricism: the suggestion that enquiry is conducted through observation and knowledge
verified through evidence
• Determinism: the suggestion that events occur according to regular laws and causes & goal
of research is to discover these
• Skepticm: the suggestion that any proposition is open to analysis and critique
The Scientific Method
1. Choose a question to investigate
2. Identify a hypothesis related to the question
3. Make testable predictions in the hypothesis
4. Design an experiment to answer hypothesis equation
5. Collect data is experiment
6. Determine results and assess their validity
7. Determine if results support or refute your hypothesis
Scientific Knowledge-Gaining Approaches
Why do the social sciences use the scientific approach?
• Because this approach:
o Finds general rules
o Collects objective evidence
o Makes testable statements
o Adopts a skeptical approach about all claims
o Remains open minded about new claims
o Is creative
o Is public and
o Is productive
Purpose of Research in the Social Sciences
For social scientists the purpose of all research into human behaviour should be:
• To discover what is the same about all human beings
• To discover what is the same about some human beings and
• To discover what is unique about individual human beings
INSERT SCREENSHOT
Goals of Research
1. Description of phenomena
2. Understanding of causality
3. Prediction
4. Control
INSERT SCREENSHOT
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
But most importantly through use of appropriate methods. Empiricism: the suggestion that enquiry is conducted through observation and knowledge verified through evidence. Determinism: the suggestion that events occur according to regular laws and causes & goal of research is to discover these. Skepticm: the suggestion that any proposition is open to analysis and critique. Identify a hypothesis related to the question: make testable predictions in the hypothesis. Determine if results support or refute your hypothesis. For social scientists the purpose of all research into human behaviour should be: To discover what is the same about all human beings. To discover what is the same about some human beings and. To discover what is unique about individual human beings. From those with lowest constraints & precision and the highest flexibility to those with the highest constraints and precision and the lowest flexibility. Intensive examination of all possible aspcets of single subjects. Often includes survey research, written questionnaires, telephone survey etc.
