The three pillars of Science:

[1] Empiricism
[2] Rationalism
[3] Skepticism
Introduction to Research
Topic One
1. What is research?
Research is the process of gathering and analysing empirical evidence to explain phenomena
arond s! Research is a "ay of asking questions and a "ay of answering those questions!
Research is a systematic search for information #a process of in$iry%! &n this corse' "e "ill
focs on a specific form of research ( scientific research method! )ot all research is scientific* for
example' +ornalists do research ,t their methods may not ,e scientific! -hat makes research
scientific is the adoption of empiricism' rationalism and skepticism #more on these later%!
-ithin scientific research' there are different methods* different approaches! .r ,elief of "hat is
real and or ,elief as to ho" "e ac$ire kno"ledge "ill determine the research process' "hat
empirical evidence to gather and ho" "e gather and analyse the evidence #"e "ill nderstand this
more "hen "e learn a,ot the philosophy of science%!
2. Explain why researchers have to be objective when carrying out research?
-hen carrying ot research "e mst ,e objective! -hat is the meaning of /o,+ective01 To ,e
o,+ective is to not ,e ,iased in carrying ot or research' and not allo"ing orselves to inflence
the otcome of or research! To ,e o,+ective' "e mst allo" the data "e collect to determine the
conclsion #and "hat "e can learn from or research%! The less "e inflence the otcome of or
research the more o,+ective "e are! 2easrement instrments play important role in ensring
o,+ectivity! To ,e critical is to ,e thorogh and strict in or tests! 3eing systematic refers to
follo"ing "ell4esta,lished procedres' approaches! To ,e organi!e" means carefl planning!
3! #escribe the characteristics o$ scienti$ic knowle"ge %contrast it to superstitions an" rumors&.
3elieve only things that can ,e examine" #seen%' measure" and teste"! -hat "e cannot see "e
cannot test* "hat "e cannot measre "e cannot test! 2easrement instrments mst ,e tested to
,e reliable #trsted' consistent% and vali" #relevance' appropriateness%' and conclsions mst ,e
verified #same reslts "hen research is replicated' repeated%! &f or measrement instrments are
not relia,le and valid' then the data "e collect cannot ,e
trsted!
5! Explain the three components o$ science.
-hat is /empiricism01
&t is the ,elief that kno"ledge can only come from experience' and analy6ing physical evidence*
"e cannot create kno"ledge ,y pondering' dreaming' arging and simply reasoning "ithot
physical evidence!
-hat is /rationalism01
&t is the ,elief that kno"ledge comes from the se of logic' sense making* "hat is not logical and
does not make sense cannot ,e part of or kno"ledge!
-hat is /skepticism01
)ever take things for granted' al"ays $estion! -hy are these components important to scientific
kno"ledge1 &f "e "ant to make sre "hat "e ,elieve in is correct' "e mst practice empiricism'
rationalism and skepticism #according to Science%!
1
Version February 2013
Introduction to Research
Topic One
7! What are the two reasoning processes' an" how to they "e$er?
The t"o reasoning processes are "e"uction and in"uction!
#1% #e"uction goes throgh the process of #a% identify theory' #,% derive hypothesis' #c% 8ollect
data #evidence to test hypothesis%' #d% 9nalyse data : evidence' ;e% 8onclde ,y
prove:disprove theory #"e start from the general[theory] to the specific [testing hypothesis]%*
#2% (n"uction goes throgh the process of #a% 8ollect data' #,% 9nalyse' #c% create theory #"e
start from the specific [individal evidences] to the general [develop a theory ,ased on all
the evidence "e have collected]%* "e do not test hypothesis in indctive reasoning* "e
discover concepts and formlate theories from or findings!
). Explain the concept o$ $alsi$ication. *urther explain why $alsi$ication is critical to scienti$ic
knowle"ge.
<arl =opper said that science advances throgh the process of /con+ectres and reftations0
#8on+ectres are ideas' proposal' gesses not ,acked ,y evidences%! Every accepted theory mst
,e in the form that can ,e challenged' refted and proven false* Theories gain strength and
credi,ility "hen they can "ithstand many tests and challenges and >ET there is no evidence they
are false! Theories that cannot ,e tested to ,e false are not scientific theories #for example' /there
is an invisi,le "orld that exists ,t "e cannot see nor travel to it0 is a con+ectre that "e cannot
test to ,e false%!
+. What is the "i$$erence in philosophy between the quantitative an" qualitative approaches to
"oing research?
The scope of $antitative approaches to research is to stdy only those phenomenon that are
considered to ,e external and independent of hman ,eings! The quantitative approaches
assme that there is an a,solte reality independent of all of s' and that "e can share one vie" of
reality!
The scope of qualitative approaches to research is to stdy reality created #interpreted'
perceived% ,y those "ho experience it! The $alitative approach assmes that or "orld is
constrcted ,y or minds* each of s creates or o"n reality and it is throgh these realities "e
nderstand or "orld!
). Explain the nine %,& "istinguishing characteristics o$ scienti$ic research.
#1% -urposive
Research mst have research o,+ective' prpose' rationale! Researchers do not start doing
research "ithot kno"ing "hat they "ant to achieve throgh their efforts!
#2% .igor
Research efforts mst sho" evidence of thoroghness in or efforts to prse kno"ledge! ?or
example' "hen collecting data' researchers mst sho" the nm,er of respondents is
significantly large to ensre representativeness of the poplation they are stdying!
#3% /estable
The scope of research mst ,e limited to only things "e can test* things "e can measre!
2
Version February 2013
Introduction to Research
Topic One
#5% .eplicability
Scientific research mst ,e designed to ena,le the same research to ,e repeated and "e
shold get the same reslts* other researchers also can do the same tests and hopeflly get the
same reslts!
#7% -recision #close to the actal vales* reality%*
#@% 0on$i"ence #report conclsion ,y stating chances of error%*
#A% 1bjectivity #avoid inflencing otcome of research* cannot let or o"n ,eliefs and vales
inflence ho" "e carry ot research and ho" "e interpret the data%*
#B% 2enerali!ability #to "hat extent can "e apply or conclsions to other contexts #places'
conditions%* the more generali6a,le or reslts are' the more sefl they are* the more
Cpo"erflD the theory ,ecomes%*
#E% -arsimony #redce the scope of research to a /managea,le0 si6e so "e are not over"helmed
#too many things to analyse% ,y the complexity of the research%!
3. #escribe the two types o$ research %one o$ which is applie" research&.
[1] 4pplie" research
The goal of applied research is to serve a practical prpose* direct and sefl* solve practical
pro,lems* for example' find "ays to cre cancer* find "ays to redce polltion%
[2] 5asic research
This kind of research tries to nderstand fndamentals of kno"ledge* "e carry ot research
to increase or general kno"ledge* expand nderstanding and serve as fondation to ftre
applied research* researchers identify ne" ideas not thoght ,efore #"hat "e call ,lind
spots%*
Reminder ( research otcomes #conclsions% only provide evidence and ans"ers to $estions* it is
p to people to take action #e!g! nmeros research have proven that smoking cases cancer 3FT
it is p to individals to make efforts to stop smoking%
6. What are some o$ the research metho"s commonly use"?
Gere are some examples of different "ays of doing research:
[1] Experimental research
This method ses artificial setting and is designed to ena,le the researcher to control
varia,les! This is the only method that can test case and effect!
[2] 7uasi8experimental research
This method makes se of natral setting #this is "hat makes $asi4experiment different from
pre experiments%! Hike the experiment method' researchers are a,le to control some
varia,les!
[3] 9urvey research
Researchers collect data ,y distri,ting $estionnaire! Iata gathered throgh $estionnaires
are then analy6ed #either to develop theories as in $alitative research* or to test hypothesis as
in $antitative research%!

3
Version February 2013
Introduction to Research
Topic One
[5] :istorical research
Researchers stdy of the past ,y analy6ing historical artifacts like docments' pots and pans'
hoses' tools' "eapons and skeletons of hman and animal ncovered in historical sites!
[7] Ethnographic research
Researchers stdy the inflence of cltre on hman ,ehavior' and ho" cltral practices
evolve throgh time!
[@] 1bservation
Throgh o,servations' researchers are a,le to descri,e phenomenon in natre or social
commnities!
[A] 0ase stu"y
&ntensively stdy an organi6ation' a focsed grop or an individal to prodce rich and deep
information of a specific context!
-hat research methods "e choose IE=E)IS on or research $estion #"hat ans"ers "e "ish to
get%* for example' if "e "ant to kno" if 9 cases 3' then "e carry ot experiments! &f "e "ant to
kno" "hy some cltres ,elieve ,eing over"eight is more ,eatifl than ,eing skinny' "e carry
ot an ethnographic stdy%!
5
Version February 2013