Karisma Amjad

Lecturer
Department of Social Work
Asian University of Bangladesh

The Basic Concept of

Social Science Research
 Science

• “Diligent and systematic inquiry or investigation into

a subject in order to discover or revise facts,
theories, applications” ( Webster)

• “Science (research) is nothing else but refinement of

everyday thinking.” (Einstein)
 Scientific Method
• Assessment of relevant existing knowledge (literature
review)
• Formulation of concepts and propositions
• statement of hypothesis
• Design the Research to test the hypothesis
• Acquisition of meaningful empirical data
• Analysis and evaluation of data
• Provide explanation and state new problems raised by
the research
 Research
• Attempt to find out in a systematically and scientific
manner
• Systematic investigation to establish facts
• The collecting of information about a particular subject
• Studious inquiry or examination; Specifically:
investigation or examination aimed at the discovery and
interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or
laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of
such new or revised theories or laws.
 Social Research

• Encyclopedia of Social Research (Vol.1)-

Social Research deals with the social phenomena. It
studies behavior of human beings as members of
society and their feelings, responses, attitudes under
different circumstance.
 The deductive Method
• The deductive Method is called top- down approach
involves the following three steps:

1. State the hypothesis ( based on theory or

research literature)
2. Collect data to test the hypothesis
3. make decision to accept or reject the
hypothesis
 The inductive method
• The inductive method is called bottom up approach
which follows three steps:

1. Observe the world

2. Search for a pattern in what is observed
3. Make a generalization about what is
occurring
 Variables
• Variable (mathematics), a symbol that stands for a value that
may vary
• Variable( programming), a symbolic name associated with a
value and whose associated value may be changed
• something that is likely to vary; something that is subject to
variation; the weather is one variable to be considered"
• A quality that can assume any of a set of values
• Likely to change or vary ; subject to variation; changeable.
 Hypothesis
• Kenneth D. Bailey (defined in his book “Methods of
Social Research)-
A hypothesis is a proposition that is stated in testable
from and particular relationship between two (or more)
variables.

• George A. Lundberg-
The hypothesis is a tentative justification, the validity of
which remains to be tested.
 Theory
• A set of proportions used to explain behaviors or
phenomena to provide prediction and understanding.

• The word ‘theory’ most simple means “explanation.”

theories explain How and why something operates as it
does.

• G. R. Adams and J.D. Schavene Veldt-

Theory is an explanation for events; a rational for why
something occurred, it is the scientific explanation of a
 The Research Wheel

Patterns Theory
Deduction

Observation/Data Hypothesis

Induction
 Literature Review
• A literature review is an objective, through summery and critical
analysis of the relevant available research and non research
literature on the topic being studies.
• A literature review is a body of text that aims to review the critical
points of current knowledge and or methodological approach on a…
• An extensive search of the information available on a topic which
results in a list of references to books, periodicals, and other
materials in the topic.
• Process of reviewing writing and published knowledge on a topic
(i.e from a journal article).
Thanks