Lecture 2--Philosophy of Science
This document discusses different aspects of the research process including the location of various components. It covers: - The scientific method which assumes objectivity, evidence based on observation, replication, and precise findings. - Different types of scientific methods like nomothetic which understand general phenomena and ideographic which understand specific actions. - Paradigms which organize observations through assumptions about existence and knowledge like positivism. - Components of theory including hypotheses that predict observations and variables that are predicted. - Logical systems like deductive which moves from theory to hypotheses to variables, and inductive which moves from observations to patterns to explanations.
Lecture 2--Philosophy of Science
- 1. #2 Location In The Research ProcessFormulatingResearchQuestionsAppropriateDesignCraftKnowledgeAppropriateSamplingDecisionsPreviousResearchEnsureResearchEthicsDataCollection&ManagementDataAnalysisOngoingResearchInterpretationDissemination
- 2. Philosophy of ScienceNot everyone agrees how to do science. One key issue concerns the pursuit of objectivity.The Scientific MethodOpen to the dataProvisional knowledge and refutationEvidence is basis for knowledgeEvidence is based on observationReplication is importantAssumes an objective realityPrecise and generalizable findingsScientific ObservationSystematicComprehensiveObjectiveOperationally specified
- 3. Philosophy of ScienceScientific MethodsNomotheticPartially understand a general phenomenonMany subjects, few variablesEmpirical generalitiesQuantitativeIdeographicUnderstand many factors underlying a specific actionFew subjects, many variables and data collectedQuantitative and qualitativeExplanatoryAssumes cause and effectImplies determinism (behavior is influenced by factors external to the individual)Probability statements – influence as causalityAttempts to answer why a phenomenon is seen
- 4. ParadigmsParadigms- Assumptions that organize our observations and make sense of them.Based on ontology (study of existence) and epistemology (study of the nature of knowledge)Ones fundamental model, scheme, world viewMethodology (organizing principles) stems from paradigmPostmodernism- Rejects notion of objective reality and standards of truth and logical reasoning that are the core of the scientific method; Everything is subjective.Positivism and post-positivismObjectivityPrecisionGeneralizabilityPost-positivism accepts subjectivityReality is objective, but observation and measurement are not purely objective.Post-positivism attempts to account for and/or minimize subjectivityBy designStatistical controlQuantitative Social Work research assumes a post-positivist paradigm
- 5. ParadigmsInterpretivism- Reality is multiple, subjective, and socially constructed.Empathic understandingUnderstand internal statesModeling idiosyncrasyCritical Social Science- Interpret findings through the filter of their empowerment or advocacy goals.OppressionEmpowermentInstitutionsQualitative MethodologySubjective meaningsDepth of understandingExperiential
- 6. Components of TheoryTheory- A systematic set of interrelated statements intended to explain some aspect of social life or enrich our sense of how people conduct and find meaning in their daily lives.The statements are referred to as Hypotheses (predict something that should be observed in real world if Theory is trueThe things the hypotheses predict are called variables.Attributes are the characteristics or quantities that make up a variable
- 7. Logical SystemsDeductive MethodTheoryHypothesisDefines variablesObserve/measureInductive MethodObserveRecognize a PatternDevelop a logical explanation for the Pattern