Читать книгу Social Work Research Methods - Reginald O. York - Страница 53

We have reviewed the nature of science with regard to both its spirit and its processes. Several principles have emerged, such as the following:

1 If it is scientific, it is an investigation into the natural world, not the supernatural.This places emphasis on things that can be observed (measured). The Salem witch trials were an illustration of a supernatural investigation based on an unintelligent examination of things that could not be observed in the natural world.

2 If it is scientific, it starts with knowledge that has emerged from the work of other scientists, not the idiosyncratic curiosities of an individual.While we are all at liberty to examine idiosyncratic curiosities, we would not usually refer to this as scientific because it fails to be based on the existing knowledge. It leaves you vulnerable to the mistake of reinventing the wheel.

3 If it is scientific, it employs systematic procedures, not haphazard ones.In scientific inquiry, we do not put the cart before the horse. We do not, for example, decide that we want to conduct a study using interviews of social work research students before we decide on the research purpose. We do not just “go with the gut” about how to conduct a research study.

4 If it is scientific, it has objective methods of inquiry rather than biased ones.If we undertake a study to prove a point, we are not adhering to the spirit of scientific inquiry, no matter how important we believe the point is and how much the world will be better off if all believed it. Such endeavors may be found in political maneuvers or other methods of data collection, but it is not based on the scientific process, which is objective.

5 If it is scientific, it employs methods of measurement that reduce human error in observation (measurement error).People sometimes err in making observations, like responding to a questionnaire in a way that is not totally honest. Science uses multiple ways of observation (two heads are better than one) to reduce the effect of human error.

6 If it is scientific, it has an analysis of data that appreciates the idea of chance as one of the possible explanations.Scientific analysis of data tests for the likelihood that chance is an appropriate explanation for what has been tested. If we appreciate what chance means, we will avoid drawing conclusions based on nonsignificant data.

7 If it is scientific, it presents conclusions that are restricted to the results of the data analysis.The scientist avoids the temptation to offer opinions as study conclusions when these opinions are outside the bounds of the data analyzed. The scientist also avoids drawing conclusions that go beyond (exaggerate) the study results, keeping in mind the limitations of the study methods. Consequently, the scientist presents conclusions from a study that are tentative in nature, not given as the final answer to a question.