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The Defining Characteristic of Science

Invitation to Research THE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH Roger Clarke , Xamax Consultancy, Canberra Visiting Professor, CSIS, Uni of Hong Kong Visiting Fellow, Australian National University http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/... ...Res /20-SciApp.ppt ebs, 16-20 January 2003.

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The Defining Characteristic of Science

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  1. Invitation to ResearchTHE SCIENTIFIC APPROACH Roger Clarke, Xamax Consultancy, CanberraVisiting Professor, CSIS, Uni of Hong Kong Visiting Fellow, Australian National University http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/......Res /20-SciApp.pptebs, 16-20 January 2003

  2. The Defining Characteristic of Science a theory is scientific iff it generates inferences that are refutable by reference to the real world cf. ‘a-scientific’ theories in religion and politics e.g. ‘through grace, a believer’s soul is saved’ ‘only a virtuous ruler can survive’

  3. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 1 of 6

  4. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 2 of 6

  5. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 3 of 6

  6. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 4 of 6

  7. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 5 of 6

  8. The Conventional Scientific Research Process - 6 of 6

  9. Conventional, Scientific Research Key Features • Investigates Research Questions within a Domain • Is driven by theories that: • are founded on axioms • comprise trees of deductive inference • generate refutable Hypotheses • Is designed to test the Hypotheses • Exercises control over confounding variables • Leads to theory extension or refinement

  10. Conventional Scientific ResearchMeta-Physical Assumptions • There is a Real World • The phenomena in that Real World are stable • Data gathered by observing the Real World are factual, truthful and unambiguous • The domain of study is not affected by either the research, or the researcher • The language in which Theory is expressed is unambiguous, and contains no value judgements

  11. Conventional Scientific ResearchData Assumptions • Data must be Objective • Objective means relatively proximate to Truth • Subjective means relatively distant from Truth • The notion of Objectivity presumes: • the existence of Truth • its accessibility by humans • Objective Data is Quantified Data,i.e. expressed in terms that place it on a scale

  12. Conventional Scientific ResearchProcess Assumptions • Research projects are driven by Theories • Theories comprise Axioms that are unchanging • Inferences from Theory are operationalised asexplicit and unambiguous Hypotheses • Results from empirical tests are replicable • Most results confirm or articulate the Theory • Gradually, Anomalies accumulate • A more general Theory is formulated, the Anomalies are accommodated, and a ‘Paradigm Shift’ occurs

  13. Conventional Scientific ResearchCorollaries • Rigour is paramount, in order to build theory • Because the primary purpose is Rigour, Relevance has to be a secondary consideration • Unstable phenomena are highly inconvenient • Perturbable phenomena are too • Anomaly accumulation should be gradual

  14. Conventional Scientific ResearchCorollaries • A Theory may draw on Reference Disciplines, but it relates to Phenomena in a particular Domain, and is intended to be understood within a particular Discipline • Testing ofAd hoc Inferences and Hypotheses (i.e. those that are not derived from some more or less formally expressed Theory) does not constitute Scientific Research

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