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Outline on the Scientific Method
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  See Also:  An Overview of the Methods of the Social Sciences
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  SUMMARY:  There are SEVEN steps in the Scientific Method
   a.  Observe     b.  Classify     c.   Apply Logic      d.  Hypothesize
   e.  Research    f.  Record & Analyze Findings      g.  Record Findings
 
  There are SEVEN steps in the Scientific Method  
  The Scientific Method is put into operation through the steps of the Research Design Process
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a.  Observation (a.k.a. empiricism) employs the five senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, & tasting  
  Hume found that the senses are subject to illusions, errors, or prejudices  
  Because of problems w/ the senses, the scientific method makes further demands on the researcher  
  Observations must be subject to confirmation and verification  
  Confirmed & verified observations lead to "factual information" where the facts are socially created  
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b.  Classification establishes relationships among facts:   
  Facts & classifications alone are sometimes viewed as "knowledge"  
  But this knowledge, classifications, must be seen as culturally based (i.e. biased)  
  In the mid 1800s, there was an explosion of modern classification  
  c.  Applying logic infers a relationship among facts or objects of classification  
  The relationship inferred by application of logic becomes a hypothesis, if it is to be tested  
  But there are other ways of knowing than by deductive logic, including emotion, tradition, religion, feminist, post-modern  
  And logic tells us nothing of values; but other ways of knowing do deal w/ values  
  Science & logic tacitly support existing social relations, cultural & moral identities  
  We live in a culture where tradition, religion, emotions, etc. have less influence than science, logic, etc.  
  Scientism is the habit of thought or procedure of scientists that embodies a particular set of values, norms, structures & institutions  
  Choosing the Types of Analyses to be utilized in the Research Project reflects the application of logic
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d. Hypothesize: If the hypothesis is true, then such & such should follow   
  A Hypothesis is an "if,-then statement"  
  A Hypothesis takes the form that: 'If "C" or the Cause occurs, then "E" or the Effect should follow'  
  The hypothesis is a concise statement of the problem to be researched  
 
In research, the answers you get depend on the questions you ask
Some questions are never asked. 
Who controls the questions asked? 
See Interest-Based Knowledge
 
  e. Research:  In actually conducting the research, some variation of the Research Instruments is used  
  Researh Instruments include Surveys, Interviews, Statistical Analysis, Analyze Existing Data, Observation, Experiments, etc. 
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  f. Record & analyze findings is the process by which the Researcher documents observations, numerical data, etc.  
  g. Report findings: Scientific findings are usually reported in Journals & Books  
  See Also:  
         Qualities of the Scientific Method
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         The History of the Development of the Scientific Method
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         Criticism of science:  Weber on values & science  
         Hoaxes:  
         Montesquieu on the Scientific Method  

The End