NUTR 100 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Cognitive Development, Collective Action, The Good German
Document Summary
Traditional scientific method: theory: how we believe some process works, operationalization: specifying how one intends to carry out research. Social science can provide us with a better understanding of what we do, and perhaps why. But science can"t tell us what we ought to want. But science is done by scientists, who will tell you (or imply) what they want. A topic appropriate for social research is one that you generalize about social patterns that operate in aggregates and are empirically observable. Research questions are specific questions we ask mentally about relationships among concepts: examples of problems with research questions, not empirically testable, nonscientific, general topics, not research questions, too vague or too ambitious. A hypothesis is a specified testable expectation about empirical reality that follows from a more general proposition or research question. The deductive approach vs. the inductive approach: common errors in scientific inquiry. Indeed, critical thinking values looking at a question, issue, or evidence from multiple angles.
