DANCEST 805 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Scientific Method
Document Summary
Main point of difference: the awareness that our observations and reasoning are error-prone and that we must employ strategies that help us guard against committing error. Kerlinger (1986) emphasised five points in which science and naive inquiry differ: the development of theories. Theory presents us with an explanation of a phenomena: it consists of a concept considered to be a cause, a concept considered to be an effect and a statement about how and why the two should be related. Theory (more formally): set of two or more concepts interrelated by one or more hypothetical or theoretical propositions. Scientist will engage in selection and elimination of possible concepts (by systematically reviewing prior research) and potentially add new concepts based on his logic, insight and observation. Scientists systematically choose and eliminate concepts based on their relevance - result: number of possible competing causes for a phenomena.
