Any scientific research involves
the creation of an integrated structure of interconnected views, ideas and facts. The fundamental difference between
scientific knowledge and everyday
knowledge is the mandatory need for a critical reflection of all the proposed ideas and evidence, as well as the desire for objectivity in views and a rigorous methodology, both in verifying the facts and in the knowledge itself. There are
empirical and theoretical research methods. In this article, we dwell on the latter. However, let us first turn to the obligatory characterization of the scientific approach.
Popper Criterion
This is the so-called criterion of falsifiability of theoretical research. The author of the concept is the famous modern British thinker Karl Popper. His idea is that any scientific theory, in order to really be called scientific, should be subjected to practical experimental verification. For example, scientific and pedagogical research involves the study of psychological and pedagogical processes in the formation of personality and objective patterns in learning. And as a result, the development of effective educational methodologies. In this case, the criterion will be the reflection of real results in the application of the methodologies derived from studies.
Theoretical research methods
Any activity, if it claims to be of a scientific nature, should imply not only criteria for verifying ideas experimentally, but also an effective methodology for constructing theories and searching for new facts. Since ancient times - from the time of ancient thinkers - empirical and theoretical research methods have been shared. The theoretical level in science is an objective reflection of the processes, phenomena, internal laws and relationships that are achieved through the processing of practical data obtained through observations, experiments and so on. Thus, theoretical research methods are a kind of superstructure over empirical ones. The latter are represented by sensory forms expressed in information obtained directly by the human sense organs and special devices. Piling up empirical facts is not a goal in itself; its ultimate goal is systematization, as well as the further construction of laws, theories, and ideas about the world. Theoretical research methods are a logical abstraction, which is created by creating scientific hypotheses and theories based on existing knowledge. Theoretical research methods have a number of different options:
- Abstraction.This is the name of the process of distraction from certain properties of the subject in his knowledge for the sake of in-depth study of a certain specific side of it. For example, abstraction results are such concepts as color, curvature, beauty, and so on.
- Formalization is a reflection of knowledge in a symbolic sign form when they take the form of formulas and conditional meanings.
- Analogy. It represents a certain conclusion about a certain similarity of the two objects on some basis on the basis of the identity between them in other characteristic features.
- Subject modeling - the study of an object using abstract models and the subsequent transfer of knowledge to the original being studied.
- Mental modeling - in the methodology is similar to the objective, but mental images are used here. In addition to the above, there is a computer simulation where programs are used, as well as symbolic - using formulas and drawings.
- Idealization is the creation of certain concepts for objects that do not really exist, but have a prototype in it. For example, a ball, an ideal gas, a geometric point, a straight line, and so on.