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The document provides an introduction to research, defining it as a systematic effort to discover new knowledge through careful investigation. It distinguishes between natural and social sciences, explaining the importance of scientific methods and reasoning, including induction and deduction, in conducting research. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of both theoretical and methodological skills for successful scientific inquiry.

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2 views

Lecture1_Introduction (2) (1)

The document provides an introduction to research, defining it as a systematic effort to discover new knowledge through careful investigation. It distinguishes between natural and social sciences, explaining the importance of scientific methods and reasoning, including induction and deduction, in conducting research. Additionally, it emphasizes the necessity of both theoretical and methodological skills for successful scientific inquiry.

Uploaded by

Shifa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Research: An Introduction

Lecture 1
Research?

• The term ‘Research’ consists of two


words: Research = Re + Search

• ‘Re’ means again and again and ‘Search’


means to find out something.
Research?
• It is actually a voyage of discovery.

• Research in common parlance refers to a search


for knowledge.
• According to Oxford The Advanced Learner’s
Dictionary: “a careful investigation or inquiry
specially through search for new facts in any
branch of knowledge.”
Research (Continue…)

• “systematized effort to gain new


knowledge.” 1
• The search for knowledge through
objective and systematic method of finding
solution to a problem is research.

1. L.V. Redman and A.V.H. Mory, The Romance of Research, 1923, p.10.
Research (modern definitions)

Systematic investigative process employed

to increase or revise current knowledge by

discovering new facts.


OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH

The purpose of research is to discover answers

to questions through the application of scientific

procedures. The main aim of research is to find

out the truth which is hidden and which has not

been discovered as yet.


Science?

• The word “science” is derived from the


Latin word scientia meaning knowledge.
• Science refers to a systematic and
organized body of knowledge in any area
of inquiry that is acquired using “the
scientific method”
Science (Types)

• Science can be grouped into two broad


categories: natural science and social
science.
• Natural science is the science of naturally
occurring objects or phenomena, such as light,
objects, matter, earth, celestial bodies, or the
human body.
Science (Types)

• Life sciences include disciplines such as


biology (the science of human bodies) and
botany (the science of plants).
• Social science is the science of people or
collections of people, such as groups, firms,
societies, or economies, and their individual or
collective behaviors.
Science (Types)

• Social sciences can be classified into


disciplines such as psychology (the
science of human behaviors), sociology
(the science of social groups), and
economics (the science of firms, markets,
and economies).
Science (Continue…)

• The natural sciences are different from


the social sciences in several respects.
The natural sciences are very precise,
accurate, deterministic, and independent
of the person making the scientific
observations.
Scientific Knowledge

• Scientific knowledge refers to a


generalized body of laws and theories to
explain a phenomenon or behavior of
interest that are acquired using the
scientific method.
Laws and Theories
• Laws are observed patterns of phenomena or
behaviors, while
• Theories are systematic explanations of the underlying
phenomenon or behavior.
• The goal of scientific research is to discover laws and
postulate theories that can explain natural or social
phenomena, or in other words, build scientific
knowledge.
Laws and Theories

• We arrive at scientific laws or theories


through a process of logic and evidence.
Logic (theory) and evidence (observations)
are the two, and only two, pillars upon
which scientific knowledge is based.
What is “The Scientific Method”?

• A method of systematic observation,


measurement, and experiment……
• For advanced concepts see slide 24
Induction and Deduction

• Induction and deduction are two different


reasoning strategies. In other words, they
are two different ways to figure out the
solution to a problem.
Induction (From specific to general)

• With induction - you start with your own experience and


then generalize a rule. For example, The last ten times I
touched the hot stove I burned my hand. I bet every time
I touch the hot stove my hand will be burned.
• Another example: Because the last few times I cut my
hair, it grew back. Inductive reasoning allows me to
generalize that after I cut my hair it will always grow
back.
Deduction (From general to specific)

• With deduction - you start with a rule and then apply it to


new situations. For example: The law of gravity says that
what goes up must come down, so I bet if I throw this
ball up it will fall back down.
• Another example: Since my teacher's grading policy
states that he takes 1 point off for each spelling mistake,
I can deduce that I will lose 5 points if I make five
spelling mistakes.
Inductive & Deductive Research
• scientific inquiry may take one of two possible forms: inductive
or deductive.
• In inductive research, the goal of a researcher is to infer
(deduce/to draw conclusion) theoretical concepts and patterns
from observed data.
• In deductive research, the goal of the researcher is to test
concepts and patterns known from theory using new empirical
data.
• Hence, inductive research is also called theory-building
research, and deductive research is theory-testing research.
Inductive & Deductive Research
• The goal of theory-testing is not just to test a theory, but
possibly to refine, improve, and extend it.
• Inductive and deductive research are two halves of the
research cycle that constantly iterates between theory
and observations.
• It is important to understand that theory-building
(inductive research) and theory-testing (deductive
research) are both critical for the advancement of
science.
Inductive & Deductive Research
• Elegant theories are not valuable if they do not match
with reality. Likewise, mountains of data are also
useless until they can contribute to the construction to
meaningful theories.
Theory

Deduction
Induction

Generalization from
Observation Test Hypothesis

Observation
Conducting scientific research, therefore, requires two sets
of skills – theoretical and methodological – needed to
operate in the theoretical and empirical levels
respectively. Methodological skills ("know-how") are
relatively standard, invariant across disciplines, and
easily acquired through doctoral programs. However,
theoretical skills ("know what") is considerably harder to
master, requires years of observation and reflection.
They cannot be “taught” but rather learned though
experience. All of the greatest scientists in the history of
mankind, such as Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Neils Bohr,
Adam Smith, were master theoreticians, and they are
remembered for the theories they postulated that
transformed the course of science. Methodological skills
are needed to be an ordinary researcher, but theoretical
skills are needed to be an extraordinary researcher.
Scientific Method (Further explained…)
• Scientific method refers to a standardized set of
techniques for building scientific knowledge, such as how
to make valid observations, how to interpret results, and
how to generalize those results. The scientific method
allows researchers to independently and impartially test
preexisting theories and prior findings, and subject them
to open debate, modifications, or enhancements.
Scientific Method (Explained…)

The scientific method must satisfy four


characteristics:
• Replicability
• Precision:
• Falsifiability

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