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Science: the one relationship that never ghosts you.
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Now that you have an idea of what research is as a concept, it's time to dive into understanding how research is done. You are now learning the research process.
But before we jump into that, let’s pause for a second to appreciate a beautiful word: science.
It [science] is not perfect. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, [and] applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised.
Carl Sagan (1980, p. 333)
Science has presented its greatest gifts to humanity: the scientific methodology, or the scientific approach. By definition, the scientific methodology is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions.
The origin of the scientific methodology can be traced back around a thousand years ago to a scientist who died on African land, Egypt, the scientific thinker, mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, Ḥasan Ibn al-Haytham. This was especially evident when he was studying, exploring, and inquiring about optics and the nature of light.
It was then passed through different stages of Greek history, taking centuries to evolve into what it is today. Scientists like Roger Bacon, Francis Bacon, Newton, and René Descartes played a key role in shaping the method we use now.
Although different fields may use varying terminology, according to Larson (2015), the method mainly includes six key steps.
The whole scientific process begins when an inquiry is generated. One needs to have their curiosity sparked. They may observe a phenomenon or problem that they find important to inquire about. Examples of such phenomena are patterns or differences in the natural world.
Once an observation is made, research is conducted. This step is crucial as it helps the inquirer (i.e., the researcher) gather background and contextual information. This step is essential because the researcher starts to learn what is already known about what they are investigating. A good way to describe this step is that the researcher is closing the gap between what they know and what is generally known, i.e., essentially, what the scientific community or the world has already discovered. This step has a significant impact on how the researcher formulates the research question (more on this later) and helps them develop appropriate hypotheses (which we'll discuss next).
After conducting research, a hypothesis is formulated. A hypothesis is usually defined as “an educated guess.” It’s a prediction that suggests a relationship between variables, often structured in an "if, then" format. It mainly serves as a testable statement to guide experimentation.
The hypothesis is tested through experiments, where variables are manipulated to observe outcomes. Experiments should have a control group and clearly defined variables: independent (what you change) and dependent (what you measure). (More on this later.)
After conducting the experiment and collecting data, the data is analyzed. Graphs, charts, and statistical analysis are so importnat in this step as they help identify trends/patterns and assess whether they support the hypothesis. The results analysis either support or refute the hypothesis. It is extremely important to note that the researcher is not trying to prove the hypotethsis, as if so, they would be biased towards resutls/findigns/conlucstions that would do so. The researcher ai is to “test” the hypothesis. That is, the researcher aims to see whether or not the hypotehsis is true, and if the hypotehsis is refuted, now the research could actually contribute to the sceintfici knowledge and community through verifying that the hypoteshsi is invalid/wrong/refuted.
After conducting the experiment and collecting data, the data is analyzed. Graphs, charts, and statistical analysis are overly crucial in this step as they help identify trends/patterns and assess whether they support the hypothesis. The results either support or refute the hypothesis.
It is extremely important to note that the researcher is not trying to “prove” the hypothesis. Doing so could introduce bias toward results that confirm the hypothesis, where instead, the researcher’s goal is to “test” the hypothesis. If the hypothesis is refuted, the findings still contribute to the scientific community by revealing that the hypothesis is incorrect.