RESEARCH & SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Dr.P.N.Narayana Raja

WHAT IS RESEARCH


Research is a Journey that unfolds newer perceptions, substantiates or contradicts the existing perceptions with an aim of adding knowledge that helps both researcher and the recipient to have new perception on the subject that was researched.

WHAT IS RESEARCH Research is a process of discovery. It is a way o f enhancing our exisitng knowledge, understanding or skill or of uncovering something new.  Research is a process of finding answer to a question.


First tools of research were those derived from:



Experience - Our life experience, and cumulative experience of several generations , gives us an understanding of a whole range of phenomena, allowing us to take for granted and predicts reliably many aspects of our lives.

The use of our senses - Our senses allow us to identify and recognize much that is around us. The human mind - Our minds then enable us to sift through the bits and pieces which have come from experience and the senses, to analyze them and draw conclusions, whether based on rational thought, convictions or our emotions.

METHODS OF KNOWING
Method of Tenacity
Always known to be true

Method of Authority
Told by significant people

A priori method
Intution says it true

Method of Science
Objective method

Three approaches to research

Historistic method

Approaches Insightful Understanding method Positivistic/ Scientific method

What is Science


Science is a system of
Knowledge Empirical Objective Self Corrective Verifiable Reliable Universal

FUNCTIONS OF A SCIENCE
BUILDING THEORIES PROVIDING EXPLANATION

PREDICTION

CONTROL

Scientific method


SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS A SYSTEMATIC CONTROLLED EMPIRICAL AND CRITICAL INVESTIGATION OF HYPOTHETICAL PROPOSITION ABOUT THE PRESUMED RELATIONS AMONG THE NATURAL OR SOCIAL PHENOMENA

Assumptions of Scientific Method

1. 2.

3. 4. 5.

6.

Discoverable uniformities, regularities and laws. The world is orderly and not irregular. The world can be understood through Sense perceptions and not through introspection or emotions. Cause and effect relation can be established The assumption of Mechano-morphism MechanoObjectivity is not a characteristic of data but a way of responding to data. Social Behaviour like customs, attitudes are as real as tangible things.

Two Systems of Logic

Steps in Scientific Method

FURTHER GENERALIZATIONS FURTHER TESTING CORRECTIONS LOGICAL DEDUCTIVE REASONING TENTATIVE INDUCTIVE GENERALISATIONS TENTATIVE ACCEPTANCE OF FACTS

MEASUREMENT CLASSIFICATION DESCRIPTION OBSERVATION

Criticism on Scientific Method

1.

2.

3. 4. 5.

6. 7.

Not possible to undertake experimentation to understand human behaviour Human behaviour changes and evolves but natural behaviour does not change Human behaviour is a learned behaviour Awareness of being studied alter the behaviour Generalization of law will be used to control human behaviour Tradition would influence methodology Semantic conflation is possible