Paper 2: Research Methods

Question 1

What is a Paradigm and a Paradigm shift ?

Answer 1

• A paradigm is a shared set of assumptions and methods
• When researchers begin to question the accepted paradigm and critique gains popularity it leads to a paradigm shift due to there being too much evidence to ignore
• Eg

Question 2

What is objectivity?

Answer 2

• Personal bias is minimised as much as possible through researchers maintaining ‘critical distance’
• experiments that are controlled tend to be the most objective eg lab experiments

Question 3

What is the Empirical method?

Answer 3

•method in which evidence is gathered through direct observation and experience

Question 4

What is Replicability?

Answer 4

• for a theory to be ‘trusted’ it should be repeatable across different contexts and circumstances

Question 5

What is Falsifiability?

Answer 5

• theories should allow for hypothesis testing and the possibility of being proven wrong
• even when a theory has been selected my tested it is not necessarily true
• theories that survive the most attempts to falsify them are the strongest