Science and Scientific Research

Question 1

define science

Answer 1

Science refers to a systematic and organized body of knowledge in any area of inquiry that is acquired using “the scientific method”

Question 2

define social science

Answer 2

social science is the science of people or collections of people, such as groups, firms, societies, or economies, and their individual or collective behaviors.

Question 3

Give 3 disciplines of social science

Answer 3

psychology, sociology, & economics

Question 4

define Psychology

Answer 4

the science of human behaviors

Question 5

define Sociology

Answer 5

the science of social groups

Question 6

define Economics

Answer 6

the science of firms, markets, and economies

Question 7

define a natural science

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

define Physical sciences

Answer 8

consist of disciplines such as physics (the science of physical objects), chemistry (the science of matter), and astronomy (the science of celestial objects).

Question 9

define Earth sciences

Answer 9

consist of disciplines such as geology (the science of the earth).

Question 10

define Life sciences

Answer 10

include disciplines such as biology (the science of human bodies) and botany (the science of plants).

Question 11

How are natural sciences different from social sciences?

Answer 11

natural sciences are very precise, accurate, deterministic, and independent of the person making the scientific observations.

Question 12

Why is there a high degree of “measurement error” in the social sciences?

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Sciences can also be classified based on their purpose.

Answer 13

Basic & Applied

Question 14

define Basic sciences also called Pure sciences

Answer 14

those that explain the most basic objects and forces, relationships between them, and laws governing them. Examples include physics, mathematics, and biology.

Question 15

define Applied sciences also called Practical sciences

Answer 15

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.

Question 16

The 2 sciences required for human development are

Answer 16

Both Basic and Applied

Question 17

___ is a science that cannot stand on it’s own right

Answer 17

Applied, they rely on basic sciences for its progress

Question 18

This science has more practical value in private enterprises and industry

Answer 18

Applied sciences

Question 19

These sciences are studied at Universities

Answer 19

Basic and Applied sciences

Question 20

The purpose of science is to

Answer 20

create scientific knowledge

Question 21

Scientific knowledge refers to

Answer 21

a generalized body of laws and theories to explain a phenomenon or behavior of interest that are acquired using the scientific method.

Question 22

Laws are

Answer 22

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.

Question 23

Theories are

Answer 23

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.”

Question 24

The goal of scientific research is

Answer 24

to discover laws and postulate theories that can explain natural or social phenomena, or in other words, build scientific knowledge.

Question 25

It is important to understand that scientific knowledge may be

Answer 25

imperfect or even quite far from the truth. Sometimes, there may not be a single universal truth, but rather an equilibrium of “multiple truths.”

Question 26

The progress of science is marked by

Answer 26

our progression over time from poorer theories to better theories, through better observations using more accurate instruments and more informed logical reasoning

Question 27

We arrive at scientific laws or theories through

Answer 27

a process of logic and evidence

Question 28

The two, and only two, pillars upon which scientific knowledge is based.

Answer 28

Logic (theory) and evidence (observations)

Question 29

Scientific research operates at two levels

Answer 29

a theoretical level and an empirical level

Question 30

The theoretical level is

Answer 30

concerned with developing abstract concepts about a natural or social phenomenon and relationships between those concepts (i.e., build “theories”)

Question 31

The empirical level is

Answer 31

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.

Question 32

Over time, a theory becomes more and more

Answer 32

refined (i.e., fits the observed reality better), and the science gains maturity.

Question 33

Scientific research involves

Answer 33

continually moving back and forth between theory and observations.

Question 34

Both theory and observations are

Answer 34

essential components of scientific research. For instance, relying solely on observations for making inferences and ignoring theory is not considered valid scientific research.

Question 35

Scientific inquiry may take one of two possible forms

Answer 35

inductive or deductive.

Question 36

In inductive research, the goal of a researcher is to

Answer 36

infer theoretical concepts and patterns from observed data.

Question 37

In deductive research, the goal of the researcher is to

Answer 37

test concepts and patterns known from theory using new empirical data.

Question 38

inductive research is also called

Answer 38

theory-building research

Question 39

deductive research is also called

Answer 39

theory-testing research

Question 40

the goal of theory-testing is not just to test a theory, but possibly to

Answer 40

refine, improve, and extend it.

Question 41

inductive and deductive research are two halves of the research cycle that constantly iterates between

Answer 41

theory and observations.

Question 42

You cannot do inductive or deductive research if you are not familiar with

Answer 42

both the theory and data components of research.

Question 43

a complete researcher is one who can

Answer 43

traverse the entire research cycle and can handle both inductive and deductive research.

Question 44

additional information about a specific instance of an entity

Answer 44

Attributes

Question 45

Data Models help us to identify

Answer 45

what kind of information we’ll store in our system

Question 46

the things or objects in our system that represent conceptual categories, not specific objects

Answer 46

Entities