Nithin KResearch ScholarSchool of Social Sciences

How to generate a topic of discussion in the midst of social scientific thinking

Social Science realm

Human

Society

Social Scientific Thinking

“ A ladder to understand problems of society (world reality)”

Ultimate aim of research

Knowledge

Experience

New Knowledge

Debate / Discussion / Questioning

Rational thinking were not allowed in early period

•Rational Thinking •Critical Thinking

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Unscientific Methods of Problem Solving

•Tenacity•Intuition•Authority•The rationalistic method•The empirical method

“Why some people remain in poverty?

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Scientific Method of Problem Solving

• Step 1: develop the problem (define and delimit it)– identify independent and dependent variables

• Step 2: formulate the hypotheses– the anticipated outcome

• Step 3: gather data– maximize internal and external validity

• Step 4(5): analyze and interpret results

Discussion enables ideas

Enabling Factors

•Curiosity•Skepticism•Objectivity

“The more you ask the more you get”

Phases of scientific investigation

•Inquiry •Analysis•Inference•Argument

Critical Thinking cycle

Reasoning

Evaluating

Problem Solving

Decision Making

Analyzing

A framework for understanding the steps of scientific inquiry

• Initial question, problem, idea, or issue• Specific purpose, question, or

prooblamatisation• Data collection – what data are collected? From

whom?• Analysis of data• Discussion and interpretation• Conclusion – answers to research questions,

limitations, and generalizability

Reference

• Gorton, W. A. (n.d.). The Philosophy of Social Science. Internet Encylopedia of Social Science. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-sci/

• Hoover, K. R. (1976). The elements of social scientific thinking. New York: St. Martin's Press.

• Klahr, D. (2000). Exploring science the cognition and development of discovery processes. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

• Kuhn, D. (2003). What is Scientific Thinking and How Does it Develop. Blackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development (pp. 126-145). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

• Kuhn, T. S. (1970). The structure of scientific revolutions (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

• Kuper, A. (2004). The social science encyclopedia (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.

• Mill, J. S. (1961). Auguste Comte and positivism. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

• Morgan, D. L. (2007). Paradigms Lost And Pragmatism Regained: Methodological Implications Of Combining Qualitative And Quantitative Methods. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 48-76.