an overview for the chapter 01 of Kerlinger Lee's. This presentation is based on the summary of the chapter one.

1. Kerlinger Lee
Research Methods
Chapter 01
Science and the Scientific
Approach
C.Paranamana

2. 2
Lecture Outline
• Science and Common Sense
• Four methods of Knowing
• Science and its Functions
• The Aims of Science, Scientific Explanation
and Theory
• Scientific Research – Definition
• The Scientific Approach

3. 3
Science and Common Sense
• Similarity – science is a systematic and
controlled extension of common sense
• Difference –
Scientists Laypeople
Toexplain a phenomena Build theoretical
structures
Use conceptual schemes
Test hypothesis In a systematic way With selection tendency
Delinquency Incidence Controls and test
behavior of D.I. in
different environments
Does not focus much on
D.I.
Explanation on variable
relationships
Test systematically using
the scientific method
Loose, unsystematic and
uncontrolled
Metaphysical activities Rules out Does not rule out

4. Four methods of Knowing
Method of tenacity – people
firmly hold on to the truth.
Something is true because it is
known to be true all along. Eg : the
last king of Sri Lanka is Sri
Wickrama Rajasinghe because it is
known to be true
Method of authority – a fact is
true because some authority has
established it. Eg : The fact that
there is a hell is believed because
Lord Buddha preached so.
Priori method – self evident facts
which always agrees with reason.
Eg : an average person cannot live
without oxygen for 6 minutes
because it causes damages to
brain cells and make it impossible
to recover
Method of science – use the
scientific method and test
approaches to clarify doubts. Eg :
shape of the earth is Oblate
Spheroid
4

5. Science and its Functions
• Three stereotypes of scientific activity
individuals work in laboratories
Impartial theorists
Individuals work for the
improvement of inventions
5

6. Science and its Functions
Static view
Scientist’s job is to discover new facts and add them to
the current body of information
Dynamic view
Scientist discover new knowledge and facts. Science is
problem solving and looked at in a heuristic manner
Two broad
views of
science
Two opposing
views of
science
Conventional perspective
Describes science in an objective manner and reveals
the reality without bias
Sociohistorical perspective
Reveals reality in a subjective manner by giving out facts
that can be said about it
6

7. 7
The Aims of Science,
Scientific Explanation and
Theory
• The basic aim of science – presenting theory (explain
natural phenomena)
• Other aims of science – explanation, understanding,
prediction and control
• The most satisfactory and usable theories are the
most generalized theories
• A good theory is one that cannot fit all observations

8. Scientific Research –
Definition
Scientific research is a systematic, controlled,
empirical, amoral, public and critical
investigation of natural phenomena. It is guided
by theory and hypotheses about the presumed
relations among such phenomena
• Systematic and controlled – scientific investigation is
ordered
• Empirical – scientist’s belief should be independently
tested from an outside party
8

9. The Scientific Approach
Problem – Obstacle – Idea
Hypothesis
Reasoning – Deduction
Observation – Test – Experiment
9

10. 10
The Scientific Approach
• Problem – Obstacle – Idea
make the problem open and express it in a reasonable
and a manageable form
• Hypothesis
Refer to past experience and observe relevant
phenomena and form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a
statement

11. 11
The Scientific Approach
• Reasoning – Deduction
scientists deduce the consequences of the hypothesis and it
might lead to some more problems differ from the original one
- deductive reasoning : moving from
a broader picture to a specific one
- inductive reasoning : moving from a specific picture to a
general one
• Observation – Test – Experiment
test not the variables but the relationship among those
variables