Science and Scientific Research Flashcards
define science
Science refers to a systematic and organized body of knowledge in any area of inquiry that is acquired using “the scientific method”
define social science
social science is the science of people or collections of people, such as groups, firms, societies, or economies, and their individual or collective behaviors.
Give 3 disciplines of social science
psychology, sociology, & economics
define Psychology
the science of human behaviors
define Sociology
the science of social groups
define Economics
the science of firms, markets, and economies
define a natural science
Natural science is the science of naturally occurring objects or phenomena, such as light, objects, matter, earth, celestial bodies, or the human body. Natural sciences can be further classified into physical sciences, earth sciences, life sciences, and others.
define Physical sciences
consist of disciplines such as physics (the science of physical objects), chemistry (the science of matter), and astronomy (the science of celestial objects).
define Earth sciences
consist of disciplines such as geology (the science of the earth).
define Life sciences
include disciplines such as biology (the science of human bodies) and botany (the science of plants).
How are natural sciences different from social sciences?
natural sciences are very precise, accurate, deterministic, and independent of the person making the scientific observations.
Why is there a high degree of “measurement error” in the social sciences?
However, the same cannot be said for the social sciences, which tend to be less accurate, deterministic, or unambiguous. Hypothetical instruments cause “measurement error” bc there is not a single instrument or metric that can accurately measure a person’s happiness. there is considerable uncertainty and little agreement on social science policy decisions.
Sciences can also be classified based on their purpose.
Basic & Applied
define Basic sciences also called Pure sciences
those that explain the most basic objects and forces, relationships between them, and laws governing them. Examples include physics, mathematics, and biology.
define Applied sciences also called Practical sciences
sciences that apply scientific knowledge from basic sciences in a physical environment. For instance, engineering is an applied science that applies the laws of physics and chemistry for practical applications such as building stronger bridges or fuel efficient combustion engines, while medicine is an applied science that applies the laws of biology for solving human ailments.
The 2 sciences required for human development are
Both Basic and Applied
___ is a science that cannot stand on it’s own right
Applied, they rely on basic sciences for its progress
This science has more practical value in private enterprises and industry
Applied sciences
These sciences are studied at Universities
Basic and Applied sciences
The purpose of science is to
create 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 are
observed patterns of phenomena or behaviors. For instance, in physics, the Newtonian Laws of Motion describe what happens when an object is in a state of rest or motion (Newton’s First Law), what force is needed to move a stationary object or stop a moving object (Newton’s Second Law), and what happens when two objects collide (Newton’s Third Law). Collectively, the three laws of Newtonian Laws of Motion constitute the basis of classical mechanics – a theory of moving objects.
Theories are
systematic explanations of the underlying phenomenon or behavior. We must understand that the theories, upon which scientific knowledge is based, are only explanations of a particular phenomenon, as suggested by a scientist. Ex: “Collectively, the three laws of Newtonian Laws of Motion constitute the basis of classical mechanics – a theory of moving objects.”
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.
It is important to understand that scientific knowledge may be
imperfect or even quite far from the truth. Sometimes, there may not be a single universal truth, but rather an equilibrium of “multiple truths.”
The progress of science is marked by
our progression over time from poorer theories to better theories, through better observations using more accurate instruments and more informed logical reasoning
We arrive at scientific laws or theories through
a process of logic and evidence
The two, and only two, pillars upon which scientific knowledge is based.
Logic (theory) and evidence (observations)
Scientific research operates at two levels
a theoretical level and an empirical level
The theoretical level is
concerned with developing abstract concepts about a natural or social phenomenon and relationships between those concepts (i.e., build “theories”)
The empirical level is
concerned with testing the theoretical concepts and relationships to see how well they reflect our observations of reality, with the goal of ultimately building better theories.
Over time, a theory becomes more and more
refined (i.e., fits the observed reality better), and the science gains maturity.
Scientific research involves
continually moving back and forth between theory and observations.
Both theory and observations are
essential components of scientific research. For instance, relying solely on observations for making inferences and ignoring theory is not considered valid scientific research.
Scientific inquiry may take one of two possible forms
inductive or deductive.
In inductive research, the goal of a researcher is to
infer 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.
inductive research is also called
theory-building research
deductive research is also called
theory-testing 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.
You cannot do inductive or deductive research if you are not familiar with
both the theory and data components of research.
a complete researcher is one who can
traverse the entire research cycle and can handle both inductive and deductive research.
additional information about a specific instance of an entity
Attributes
Data Models help us to identify
what kind of information we’ll store in our system
the things or objects in our system that represent conceptual categories, not specific objects
Entities
