Research is the Knowledge gained through reasoning, intuition, and through the use of appropriate methods. The scientific method involves a series of steps that are used to investigate a natural occurrence. It is a process where scientists overtime constructs an accurate representation of the world. The scientific Method has six steps; finding the problem/question, observation/research, formulate a hypothesis, experiment, collect and analyze results, and find a conclusion. To begin with, you should start out by finding what your topic is and defining the problem (this is usually a question), a question about your topic that should need answering, making sure your topic is not too vague, collect and organize information (Research) and creating a testable hypothesis (Walliman, 2005). A hypothesis is a statement that can be proven or disproven. It is basically an educated guess/explanation of how things work. You can have more than one proposed hypothesis to a research. If there are cases as such, it will always be narrowed down to just one and the scientific method/process will continue. A hypothesis has to be testable so that it can be proven or disproven (Prunckun, 2014). An example of a hypothesis in relation to criminal justice is “If an officer wears a camera when he/she is doing their job then, To start doing the experiment process there are things that need to be determined and designed to be able to test the hypothesis (Walliman, 2005). In the experiment process, there would be observations, records, and data. Anything that is found is considered raw data and can be used to determine the effects that the different variables have on the experiment. Measurements are important and when conducting a research, you should always rely on facts and not opinions. Scientists use drawings, tables, graphs, diagrams, and photographs, written observations, and recordings (Walliman,
The scientific method is how psychologists gain knowledge about the mind and behavior. It is used by all scientists. The experimental method is the one way to engage the scientific method, and the only way to find a cause and effect in relationships. It is summarized in five steps, observing some phenomenon in the world, forming a hypothesis which is an educated prediction about relationships between two or more variables, examining the gathered information by using empirical research, determining what the results are and drawing them, and evaluating the results whether it will support the hypothesis or not. Researchers, at the end, submit their work for publication for all to see and read (King, 2016). There are three types of psychological research in the scientific method, descriptive research, correlation, and experimental research (King, 2016). The article The Effects of Negative Body Talk in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of College Students (Katrevich, Register, & Aruguete, 2014) is an example of the experimental method.
The scientific method is a cyclical and self-correcting process that involves several steps. Observations and collecting qualitative and quantitative evidence are important to make predictions and to develop a theory.
The scientific method is the process by which scientists, collectively and over time, endeavor to construct an accurate (that is, reliable, consistent and non-arbitrary) representation of the world.
Based on the preceding ontological and epistemological assumptions a researcher then makes methodological assumptions. Having decided on exactly what is to be studied the researcher then decides how the research can best be managed thus formulating a plan of action. Considerations include whether the research used should be primary or secondary. Whether one will test an existing hypothesis or whether one will construct a theory after having collated evidence. Finally one can draw conclusions as to which strategy to implement with the ultimate goal of producing the type of knowledge that is required. This then results in the type of method or methods of research to be used.
The scientific method is the analyzation of evidence, to examine a case from every angle possible, to not give up on an investigation until all of the angles are covered and to not allow personal emotions create a bias in their mind (Osterburg 2010). A scientific method example would be when an investigator arrives to a crime scene, they would first search the area for clues and see if something doesn’t seem right. Next they would have to search for different forms of evidence, most important would be trace evidence because it can provide DNA evidence which can also link a suspect to the crime. There are many more ways evidence and other clues can be harvested from a crime scene but it is up to the investigator to use their knowledge and help find the person responsible for the crime
1. Hypothesis - A hypothesis is defined by the Criminal Justice Today textbook as "An explanation that accounts for a set of facts and that can be tested by further investigation. Also, something that is taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation" (Schmalleger 73). It is, essentially, a supposition or proposed explanation made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. In terms of law and criminal justice, The Law Dictionary website defines the term as "A supposition, assumption, or theory; a theory set up by the prosecution, on a criminal trial, or by the defense, as an explanation of the facts in evidence, and a ground for inferring guilt or innocence, as the case may be, or asindicating
Scientific method consists of five steps: observation, hypothesis, experiment, conclusion and scientific theory. You must identify your problem when doing observation. Second you must gather as much information about the problem as possible. Third you want to form a hypothesis. A hypothesis is an unproved explanation for a natural event. Based on observation a hypothesis is a scientist best explanation. One reason why hypothesis is so important is because it is the comparison for experimental data. Next you have experiments, which is basically testing ...
In conclusion, the scientific method is a set of techniques used by the scientific community to investigate natural phenomena by providing an objective framework in which to make scientific question and analyze the data to reach a conclusion about that question. Therefore it can be done many different
The laboratory experiment gives the experimenter a greater chance to control the conditions and enables you to measure behaviour with greater precision. This method also allows for quantative research and also enables greater control of variables. Although it gives the experimenter greater control, this can also seem daunting to the subject who may feel more uncomfortable and is less likely to ...
The scientific method is a process that is used to create theories and test them. It consists of a variety of steps that one must follow. The steps generally follow a process beginning with observation, creating a hypothesis based upon the observation, testing the hypothesis, evaluating the results and retesting the hypothesis. The purpose of the scientific method is to look for “causal” (The Scientific Revolution and the Scientific Method, p. 20). This means that when looking at the scientific method one is looking at a cause and effect that has taken place. This is important to help extend scientific knowledge because the scientific method helps establish why things are occurring in our natural world. It is also important to note that the scientific method does not always prove each hypothesis true
2. The scientific method is applied in psychological research through the use of making observations, defining a problem, proposing a hypothesis,
The original scientific method was established during the Renaissance and is based upon induction. Induction is defined by philosopher J.S Mills as “consists in inferring from a finite number of observed instances of a phenomenon, that it occurs in all instances of a certain class that resemble the observed instances in certain ways.” Meaning this view of the scientific method begins with the particular observation of natural phenomena, and from this observation, a general principle is logically inferred. For example, after only seeing white dogs in my lifetime I induced all dogs are white. As such inductive reasoning is the inference of a universal law from a finite list of singular instances. Inductive reasoning is based upon three conditions,
When it comes to researching topics and trying to organize thoughts in to making more sense, a very popular tool to use is the Scientific Method. The Method is very closely associated with the subject of Sociology because well-known contributors and theorists of this field have been using it since the first study of social behavior first came about, somewhere around the 17th century. Although there are six general steps to the Method, I will be focusing on the first three, and applying them to a topic that has captured my interest for many years: College Greek Life Pledging/Unrecognized Fraternities and Sororities.
Then, one must make a prediction, a guess for the outcome which is much more specific in contrast to the hypothesis. It is crucial to make sure the experimenter’s format is structured and consistent. It is additionally important to keep in mind that the entire experiment is controlled except for the variable one is testing, ensuring the most accurate results. Neither the prediction and hypothesis should be changed. As stated, ”An incorrect prediction does NOT mean that you ‘failed.’ It just means that the experiment brought some new facts to light that maybe you hadn't thought about before”(The Scientific Method,1). This in turn is important for refinement in the end of the experiment, which can only boost the reliability of one's data. Eventually the next stage is the experiment, the part that tests out ones hypothesis and designed to find if one’s idea was wrong or not. Lastly the final step is the conclusion in which the experimenter summarizes how the data corresponds to the hypothesis. The conclusion can be written in two ways; one may reject or not reject the hypothesis. Ultimately, these steps are what make this method as structured and simple to follow as it is.
A team of scientists can observe the same phenomenon under investigation. They can then formulate a hypothesis to account for those behaviors. They can then form experiments so they can confirm or reject those hypothesis designed to explain the behavior of organisms.