Study Unit 1: Strategies Of Discovery

Question 1

Define research

Answer 1

It is the process of collecting information and the rules thereof is methodology

Scientific research is systematically examining and thinking about a question

Question 2

Define inquiry

Answer 2

Is the process where knowledge is gained by observing how things are and using our minds to think logically about what’s observed.

Question 3

Define science

Answer 3

Is a process of inquiry which is the way of learning and knowing things about the world around us using logic, observations and theory.

Scientific thinking is logical has a reference or observed evidence and gives explanation (theory)for what we observe.

Question 4

Provide sources of general knowledge

Answer 4

1. Tradition:
   A culture that contains accepted knowledge about the world.
   Can lead to gualibility. We don’t find out how the knowledge was obtained and so source is unquestioned.

Mysticism and religion

Religion offers knowledge based upon authority of sacred texts or other supernatural source.

Every scientific discipline can be understood as being based upon a tradition of thought.

Common sense

Or ordinary reasoning which relates to what people know intuitively. It helps to solve every day problems and in decision making.

Media myths

Chief purpose of media is to entertain and not present reality accurately.

Question 5

Provide reasons of errors in human inquiry.

Answer 5

Inaccurate observations

Making incorrect statements based on what we think we saw.

Overgeneralisation

We arrive at a general conclusion about certain thing after only observing few cases of that thing.
“Halo effect” we look at 1 good aspect of something and overgeneralise it.

Selective observation

Once decision is made that events are following certain pattern you will tend to pay attention mainly to future situation that supports that initially observed pattern.

Ego involvement in understanding

Our understanding of events and conditions are psychologically significant to us and we link our understanding of how things are to image of ourselves that we present to others.

Premature closure of inquiry

Asking questions for short while obtain some answers and stop inquiry too soon where attempts to understand something is stopped before our understanding is complete

Question 6

What is the difference between ordinary and scientific inquiry

Answer 6

Scientific inquiry is conscious deliberate inquiry into special events

Scientific inquiry is more careful than normal casual efforts we are aware of making mistake and take precautions to avoid them.

Question 7

What are norms

Answer 7

Norms are rules of conduct in particular situations that are enforced by positive and negative sanctions.

Question 8

Provide a list of scientific norms

Answer 8

Universalism.
Irrespective of who conducts the research and regardless of where it was conducted, the research is to be judged only on the basis of scientific merit.

Organised scepticism. Scientists should not accept new ideas or evidence in a carefree, uncritical manner. Instead, all evidence should be challenged and questioned

Disinterestedness. Scientists must be neutral, impartial, receptive and open to unexpected observations or new ideas.

Communalism. Scientific knowledge must be shared with others; it belongs to everyone. Creating scientific knowledge is a public act and the findings are public property, available for all to use.

Honesty. This is a general cultural norm, but it is especially strong in scientific research. Scientists demand honesty in all research; dishonesty or cheating in scientific research is a major taboo.

Question 9

define theory

Answer 9

a framework of ideas that provides an explanation of something

Question 10

what is relativism

Answer 10

Relativism is the philosophical position that there are
no absolute truths, in other words truth that apply to everybody, but only
my and your truths, which may not be the same.

Question 11

what are the stages of research

Answer 11

1. Stage 1 includes the definition of the problem.
2. Stage 2 includes obtaining the information.
3. Stage 3 includes analysing and interpreting the information.
4. Stage 4 includes communicating the results.

Question 12

define ontology

Answer 12

a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of reality

Question 13

define epistemology

Answer 13

a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of knowledge

Question 14

what are three dominant approaches to social science:

Answer 14

(1)the positivist approach
a systematic way of doing research that emphasises the importance of observable facts.behaviour of human beings is determined by external influences that produce particular effects under certain
conditions.

(2) interpretive approach
an approach to social science that emphasises the importance of insiders’ viewpoints to understanding social realities.
Interpretivists argue that social reality is inherently meaningful. People have the ability to interpret a situation and decide how to act in response to this situation.
(3)critical approach
an approach to social science that emphasises the need to uncover hidden processes and structures within society

less dominant
feminism, postmodernism and postcolonialism

Question 15

discuss Contemporary methodological challenges

Answer 15

Feminist research
an approach advocating gender sensitivity in research, in particular the acknowledgement of the role of women

Postmodern research
an approach to research that claims there is no such thing as absolute “truth’’ and that no particular theory or method is better than another at determining the truth

modernity: a belief in rationality and progress associated with confidence in science and technology

Postcolonialism

Question 16

discuss the three of the dominant approaches to social science

Answer 16

modernity:

1. Positivists aim to discover the causal patterns in an independent external reality.
2. Interpretive social scientists make sense of intentionally constructed and intersubjectively shared meaning systems in social contexts.
3. Critical social scientists uncover the multiple layers of social reality to reveal its true nature and thus facilitate transformation. In this respect they assume that it is possible to examine and explain the structure and meaning of social action.