The Scientific Method Paper

1200 Words5 Pages

The scientific method Researchers use the scientific method as an approach to identify a problem, conjecture a hypothesis that could solve the problem, collect data pertaining to the hypothesis, and examine the data to determine if it supports or solves the research problem. The scientific method requires the use of deductive logic and inductive reasoning, and they fuel each other during the scientific research process. Deductive logic is important for creating research hypothesis and testing theories. It begins with a theory or argument, and researchers gather data to test the theory (Levy, 2013). Inductive reasoning is when researchers draw conclusion about a large population from observations on a smaller sample of the population. This …show more content…

Rather, they choose a subset or sample of the people they are interested in studying. The conclusions drawn from the sample testing can be used to make generalizations about the entire populace if the sample is an accurate representation of the population. This refers to the research’s external validity. It is very important the researcher accurately writes in the study that he is using a sample or subset of a population. Cautious researchers say exactly what their intent is (Leedy & Ormrod, 2016). Some of the many types of sampling procedures are simple random sampling, stratified random sampling, convenience sampling, and snowball sampling. I prefer the simple random sampling procedure. Randomization ensures that the comparison groups are equal with respect to how they occur in the population (Morrison-Beedy & Melnyk, 2012). It is not practical for sampling large populations, but is effective for research done on small populations with known individuals (Leedy & Ormrod, …show more content…

Qualitative research is exploratory, and researchers use this to investigate a topic that is immature. An immature topic is when the variables are unknown and little research has been done. Other reasons to use qualitative research is when the available theory on the topic is incorrect, inappropriate or biased. It is also a good method to use when a need exists to explore and describe the topic and to develop a theory. This approach is also necessary when the nature of the topic or situation does not fit with the quantitative approach to research (Creswell, 2014). The most commonly used methods in qualitative research are participant observation, interviews, and focus groups (Leedy & Ormrod,