What is Science, the Scientific Method, and

Research?

• Scientific Method…
– involves the principles and processes regarded as
characteristic of or necessary for scientific
investigation
• process or approach to generating valid and
trustworthy knowledge.
• Why are we interested in research?
• What is research?
 Research is …….
• Knowledge acquisition gained
– through reasoning
– through intuition (ability to acquire)
– but most importantly through the use of
appropriate methods
 Basic Elements of the Scientific Method

• Empiricism: the enquiry is conducted through

observation and knowledge verified through
experiments/evidence
• Determinism: the events occur according to
regular laws and causes. The goal of research
is to discover these.
• Scepticism: Scientific
methods/approach/conclusions are open to
analysis and critique
 The Scientific Method

The Scientific Method is a logical and rational order

of steps by which scientists come to conclusions
about the world around them. The Scientific Method
helps to organize thoughts and procedures so that
scientists can be confident in the answers they find.
Scientists use observations, hypotheses, and
experimental findings to make these conclusions. You
will think through the various possibilities using the
Scientific Method to eventually come to an answer to
your original question.
The observation is done first so that you
know how you want to go about your
research.
The hypothesis is the answer you think you'll
find.
The prediction is your specific belief about
the scientific idea: If my hypothesis is true, It
can be predicted that it will be discovered.
The experiment is the tool that you invent to
answer the question, and the conclusion is
the answer that the experiment gives.
Steps of the Scientific Method
Observation/Problem
Statement/Hypothesis
Prediction
Experimentation/methodology
Conclusion
A hypothesis is an idea or explanation that
you then test through study and
experimentation.
A tentative explanation for an observation,
phenomenon, or scientific problem that can
be tested by further investigation.
An hypothesis is a specific statement of
prediction.
A hypothesis is an educated guess about
how things work
 Why must we understand research?

• help make informed decisions

• need to produce research in career
• evaluating research activities
• assist in research activities
 What is Science, the Scientific Method, and
Research?

• Science…
– a body of established knowledge
– the observation, identification, investigation, and
theoretical/experimental explanation of natural
phenomenon
 What is Science, the Scientific Method, and
Research?

• Research…
– the application of the scientific method
– a systematic process of collecting and
logically/experimentally analyzing information
(data)
• Research Methods (Methodology)…
– the ways one collects and analyzes data
– methods developed for acquiring trustworthy
knowledge via reliable and valid procedures
 Components of research
Designing a TOPIC: This step involves narrowing
possible topics and then choosing the right
problem/question to be the focus of research. Your
question should be specific. The topic can be evaluated
on the following criteria:
Interesting
Addressing right issue
Can be proved by research/methods
Effective and applied outcomes
Generate interesting findings/conclusion and
Can be reproduced
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is accepting nothing at face value, but
rather examining the truth and validity of arguments
and evaluating the relative importance of ideas. Critical
thinking includes evaluating and weighing different
sides of an argument, applying reason and logic to
determine the merits of arguments, and drawing and
evaluating conclusions from logical arguments and data
analysis. Critical thinking requires background skills
such as imagination and creativity, logic and
reasoning, conceptual thinking, reflection and
feedback.
Problem Solving
Problem solving is the ability to identify, define and
analyze problems, to create solutions and evaluate
them, and to choose the best solution for a particular
context. It requires imaginative and innovative thinking
to find new ways to approach a problem, analytical skills
to examine the consequences of a particular solution,
and reasoning skills to weigh one solution against
another. A common form of problem solving in science
is experimentation. Problem solving involves the
background skills of imagination and creativity, logic and
reasoning, data collection, conceptual
thinking, reflection and feedback, and scientific
experimentation.
Analysis
Analysis is the ability to gather relevant data and
information and apply methods of synthesis, critical
thinking and data reduction to locate and understand
patterns or connections in that information. Scientific
analysis often requires mathematical techniques to
manipulate data, such as graphing experimental results
or using statistical tests to examine differences
between sets of data. Analysis requires the background
skills of data collection, data
analysis, reflection and feedback, scientific
experimentation.
 Dissemination
Dissemination is communicating to others the
purpose and outcomes of research. It requires the
ability to summarise information, explain the aims,
motives, results and conclusions of the research, and
tailor the communication to the needs and
knowledge level of a particular audience.
Dissemination requires the background skills
of imagination and creativity, logic and
reasoning, conceptual thinking, reflection and
feedback.
http://sydney.edu.au/science/uniserve_science/projects/skills/jantrial/research.htm
A problem statement is essentially
a clear description of an issue that
faces a group or individual.
 Types of Research
• Trochim’s Classifications…
– descriptive
• e.g., percentage of regular exercisers
– relational
• e.g., link between age and exercise
– causal
• e.g., effect of behavior change intervention on
exercise participation
 Types of Research
• Other Common Classifications…
– Basic, applied, evaluation
– Experimental, non-experimental
– Analytical, descriptive, experimental, qualitative
 Writing Thesis/Dissertation Proposals: The
Big Picture
• Your proposal describes your proposed plan of
work:
• What you intend to study (scope and research
questions).
• How you intend to study your topic (methodology).
• Why this topic needs to be studied (significance).
• When you will complete this work (timeline).
• (Occasionally) Where you will conduct this work.
 Writing Thesis/Dissertation Proposals

Purpose:
• Justify and plan (or contract for) a research project.
• Show how your project contributes to existing research.
• Demonstrate that you understand how to conduct discipline-
specific research in an acceptable time-frame.
 Parts of a Proposal

• Title • Methodology
• Abstract • Significance/
• Introduction/Background Implications
• Problem Statement (a gap • Overview of Chapters
that needs to be filled)
• Plan of Work
• Purpose/Aims/Rationale/R
esearch Questions • Bibliography
• Review of Literature