What is Social Science Research? How is it Done?

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What is Social Science Research? How is it Done?

• PO 390W Research Design For Political Science

2
What is Science?

• How do we DEFINE science?
• What are the GOALS of science?
• What is NOT science?
• Why/when is science PREFERABLE to other forms of
  inquiry (e.g., intuition, philosophy?)

3
The Definition of Science

• Science is a system of knowledge which seeks to
  describe, explain, and determine general
  regularities about phenomena through standardized
  procedures of inquiry
• Thus, science is constituted of both a product
  and a process the understanding of each
  component is essential

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What are the Goals of Science? (PRODUCT)

1. Derive answerable questions from the empirical
   realm
2. Produce systematic answers to these questions
   through further empirical observation, which meet
   generally accepted requirements of description,
   explanation, prediction, and understanding
3. Ultimately increase collective knowledge

5
Ideally, How is Science Done? (PROCESS)

1. Formulate a research question about an empirical
   relationship
2. Develop precise definitions of concepts
   (abstractions about phenomena)
3. Link concepts to empirical objects and events
   (variable measurement)

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Ideally, How is Science Done? (PROCESS)

• Develop hypotheses about the causal relationships
  between variables, citing general networks of
  established propositions and conclusions
  (theories) to explain causation
• Gather appropriate empirical observations (data),
  based on concepts, for the purposes of
  systematically testing hypotheses
• Conduct tests using the scientific method to
  arrive at empirical generalizations
• Determine support for hypothesis
• Determine how findings impact the existing body
  of knowledge concerning the phenomena

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S Ss Process Flowchart
Deduction Subject General Principles
to Observations
Theories
Empirical Generalizations
Hypotheses
Induction Infer Generalizations
from Observations
Systematic and Cyclical Process of Knowledge
Development and Accumulation
Observations
8
What is NOT Science?

• Science generally seeks to avoid subjectivity and
  value judgments in inquiry
• Does not seek to address morality or desirability
  of phenomena
• Still, subjectivity is always an issue, because
  science is conducted by humans
• As such, science does not seek to ascertain
  truth, as it pertains to issues of faith
  regarding existence and the essence of being
• Truth is the realm of philosophy and religion
  fact, as understood by empirical regularity, is
  the realm of science

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Why/When is Science Preferable?

• Science does not condemn philosophy or religion
  it is simply speaking to another realm of inquiry
• Within that realm empirical fact science
  likely has no equal as a mode of inquiry
• Its systematic nature allows for reliability and
  verifiability (superior to intuition)
• The scientific method establishes reasonable and
  updatable standards for the acceptance or
  rejection of notions
• At the same time science is an ongoing
  endeavor, with knowledge of any area ALWAYS being
  incomplete