Introduction to Social Science Research

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Introduction to Social Science Research

• András István Kun
• assistant professor

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Introduction
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The scientific method

• In its broadest sense science is any systematic
  knowledge that is capable of resulting in a
  correct prediction or reliable outcome.
• A scientific method seeks to explain the events
  of nature in a reproducible way, and to use these
  findings to make useful predictions.
• Scientific thinking is one of the ways to find
  answeres (besides practical thinking,
  professional thinking, religious thinking,
  ideological thinking).

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Possible definitions of research

• A way of thinking a habit of questioning what
  you do a systematic examination to find answeres
• search for knowledge via systematic investigation
  
• investigation or experimentation aimed at the
  discovery and interpretation of facts, revision
  of accepted theories or laws in the light of new
  facts, or practical application of such new or
  revised theories or laws

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Why doing research?

• A quest for knowledge and understanding
• An interesting and useful experience
• A course for qualification
• A career
• A style of life
• A way to improve quality of life
• An ego boost

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Different fields of research

• The everyday research
• Professional research
• Economic
• Management
• Development, RD (applied research)
• Academic research (blue sky research)

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Everybody is a researcher

• Looking for job
• Looking for housing
• Searching a real bargain

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Typical research questions in marketing

• How much is the researvation price of the
  costumers?
• Which features of the product is not needed and
  which features should be improved?
• How much should I spend on advertising?

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Development

• Apply scientific, engineering or technological
  knowledge in a systematic manner to improve
  performance
• Exploits knowledge created elsewhere
• Has a final product, service or process
• Usually strict time constraints
• Budget constraints
• Targeting profit increase

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Research Development

• Term used in the industrial/business sector
• Research is a process creating new knowledge
• Development is a process that applies knowledge

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Academic research vs. RD

• Academic research seeks truth vs. RD seeks
  utility
• Industry cant afford luxury of research vs.
  Academics dont want to be bothered with
  financial problems
• Scientific vs. effective methodology

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The scientific research

• The aim of scientific research is to establish
  facts.
• The classical model of scientific inquiry that
  forms of approximate and exact reasoning in a
  threefold scheme (Aristotle)
• Abductive reasoning
• Deductive reasoning
• Induction (inductive reasoning)

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Abductive reasoning

• It is a process of choosing the hypothesis, which
  would best explain the available evidence.
• Usually a natural and instinctive process.
• Its role in the scientific research it offers
  appropiate hypotheses built on observations
  and/or previous studies.
• Abduction is not necessarily correct, but
  enhancing or exploring different hypotheses will
  allow a systematic approach to scientific
  research.
• Occams Razor the rule of thumb known as
  Occams Razor, where the simplest explanation
  is likely to be the correct one.

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Deductive reasoning

• is reasoning which constructs or evaluates
  deductive arguments. Deductive arguments are
  attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily
  follows from a set of premises.
• An example of a deductive argument
• All men are mortal
• Socrates is a man
• Therefore, Socrates is mortal

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Induction (inductive reasoning)

• the real science is inductive positivist
  paradigm
• reasoning from a specific case or cases and
  deriving a general rule. It draws inferences from
  observations in order to make generalizations.
• Stages
• Observation collect facts, without bias.
• Analysis classify the facts, identifying
  patterns o of regularity.
• Inference From the patterns, infer
  generalizations about the relations between the
  facts.
• Confirmation Testing the inference through
  further observation.

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Definition of scientific research

• A research process is scientific, if it is
• undertaken within the framework of a set of
  philosophies (according to the specific field of
  science),
• using procedures, methods and techniques that
  have been tested for their validity and
  reliability,
• designed to be unbiased and objective.
• It is empirical.

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Some notions form the definition

• Set of philosophies paradigm
• Reliability the quality of measurement
• Validity Do we measure the right thing?
• Unbiased a built in error in sampling or in the
  method of analising
• Objective independent from the personal
  characteristics and attitudes of the researcher

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Some specifications of the social sciences

• Hardness of controlling variables the role of
  experiences is very limited.
• Subjectivity is harder to be eliminated.

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Characteristics of research

• Controlled to link the effect to the cause (and
  vice versa) one should minimize the effect of
  factors other than want to measure. Or in social
  sciences, you have to measure as many factors as
  you can.
• Rigorous
• Systematic one should follow a certain logocal
  sequence.
• Valid and verifiable
• Empirical
• Critical process, procedures and conclusions
  have to be able to whitstand critical scrutiny.

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Types of research

• Application
• Pure (blue sky) research
• Applied research
• Objectives
• Descriptive descibes the research object
  systematically
• Correlational discovers relationship/association/
  interdependence between research objects or
  factors
• Explanatory explaines the relationship between
  variables
• Exploratory explores a research field that is
  undiscovered. If it succeeds, other types of
  research could follow.
• Inquiry mode
• Qualitative unstructured, flexible process, more
  able to explore or explain
• Quantitative structured, strict process, more
  able to measure, quantify, compare and describe