Scientific Method

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Scientific Method

• Statistics and Quantitative Analysis

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The Scientific Method Is a
new way of thinking.
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The Scientific Method Is a
new way of thinking. It may not be the best way,
but it is very pragmatic and produces immense
amounts of information.
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Scientific Method Refers
to techniques for investigating phenomena and the
gaining of new knowledge, as well as correcting
and integrating previous knowledge, based on
observable, empirical, measurable evidence, and
subject to laws of reasoning.
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Is the earth the center of the universe?
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Do UFOs actually exist?
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Basic Characteristics
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• Basic Characteristics
• Descriptive
• a. Public
• b. Replicable
• c. Reliable
• d. Valid

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• Basic Characteristics
• Descriptive
• Predictive
• a. Past Present Future
• b. Not interested in one-shot ideas

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• Basic Characteristics
• Descriptive
• Prediction
• Control

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• Basic Characteristics
• Descriptive
• Prediction
• Control
• Understanding
• a. Identification
• b. Relationships
• c. Cause-effect

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Assumptions
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• Assumptions
• Empiricism
• a. Look and see

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• Assumptions
• Empiricism
• a. Look and see
• b. All hypotheses and theories are in
• principle subject to disproof.

Comment of professor People may begin to
disbelieve scientists.
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• Assumptions
• Empiricism
• Determinism
• a. There is a cause for any given effect.

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• Assumptions
• Empiricism
• Determinism
• Parsimony
• a. The simple explanation is usually best.

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• Assumptions
• Empiricism
• Determinism
• Parsimony
• Testability
• a. All ideas and hypotheses must be testable.

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Procedure
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• Procedure
• Observation

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• Procedure
• Observation
• Development of a hypothesis
• Hypothesis underlying idea or proposition

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• Procedure
• Observation
• Development of a hypothesis
• Make a prediction

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• Procedure
• Observation
• Development of a hypothesis
• Make a prediction
• Test prediction

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• Procedure
• Observation
• Development of a hypothesis
• Make a prediction
• Test prediction
• Start over

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• Scientific Method
• Observation
• Hypothesis
• Test

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• Scientific Method
• Observation
• Hypothesis
• Test
• 1. Observation
• 2. Hypothesis
• 3. Test

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• Scientific Method
• Observation
• Hypothesis
• Test
• 1. Observation
• 2. Hypothesis
• 3. Test
• 1. Observation
• 2. Hypothesis
• 3. Test

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More Formal 1. Define the question
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis 4.
Perform experiment and collect data
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis 4.
Perform experiment and collect data 5. Analyze
data
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis 4.
Perform experiment and collect data 5. Analyze
data 6. Interpret data and draw conclusions that
serve as a starting point for new
hypotheses
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis 4.
Perform experiment and collect data 5. Analyze
data 6. Interpret data and draw conclusions that
serve as a starting point for new hypotheses
7. Publish results
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More Formal 1. Define the question 2. Gather
information and resources 3. Form hypothesis 4.
Perform experiment and collect data 5. Analyze
data 6. Interpret data and draw conclusions that
serve as a starting point for new hypotheses
7. Publish results
A retail store is loosing sales on Saturday
afternoon.
Why?
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Reference Clayson, Dennis Marketing
Research A Pragmatic Guide http//en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Scientific methodElements_of_scientific_
method
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History
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• History
• Spiritual Animism

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• History
• Spiritual Animism

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• History
• Spiritual Animism
• Early Science

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• History
• Spiritual Animism
• Early Science

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• History
• Spiritual Animism
• Early Science
• Tradition

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Something happened about here
Descartes wrote Our inquires should be
directed not to what others have thought, not
to what we ourselves conjecture, but to what we
can clearly and perspicuously behold and with
certainty deduce for knowledge is not won in
any other way.
Rene Descartes (1596 1650)
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• History
• Spiritual Animism
• Early Science
• Tradition
• Scientific

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• History
• Spiritual Animism
• Early Science
• Tradition
• Scientific
• Modern Science

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Causality How do we know if A caused B? A
B
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• Causality
• How do we know if A caused B?
• Concomitant Relationship
• a. There is a correlation between A and B

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• Causality
• How do we know if A caused B?
• Concomitant Relationship
• a. There is a correlation between A and B

A
B
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• Causality
• How do we know if A caused B?
• Concomitant Relationship
• Causal Order
• a. A happened before B

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• Causality
• How do we know if A caused B?
• Concomitant Relationship
• Causal Order
• Elimination of Alternatives
• a. Can all other explanations be explained
• and controlled?

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Approaches to the Truth
Knowledge without wisdom can be bad
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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)

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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (religion/meditation)

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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (Religion/meditation)
• Factual observation (science)

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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (Religion/meditation)
• Factual observation (science)

Which is better?
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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (Religion/meditation)
• Factual observation (science)

It depends!
Generally factual observation is best. But
it is not always the best approach.
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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (Religion/meditation)
• Factual observation (science)

It depends!
Generally factual observation is best. But
it is not always the best approach. Quantum
physics is not logical, but it was discovered
by logic (thought problems and math).
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• Approaches to the Truth
• Logical reasoning (philosophy)
• Awareness and revelation (Religion/meditation)
• Factual observation (science)

It depends! Doctor
who always sat in a temple every morning before
seeing patients.