RESEARCH METHODS - Unit 1 Chapter Summary
Define basic concepts in philosophy of science and differentiate between the basic assumptions of empiricist epistemology vs. rationalist epistemology; between the realist ontology vs. idealist ontology. Discriminate a priori proposition from a posteriori proposition/knowledge; hypothesis from theory; formal sciences from empirical sciences; and natural empirical sciences from social empirical sciences. Define Kuhnian terminologies such as paradigm, paradigm shift, pre-normal science, normal science and revolutionary science as situated within the historical context of scientific practice. Compare inductivist methodology to deductivist methodology, and discuss the problems associated with each. Discuss how the nature of social worlds are different from the nature of natural worlds in relation with the positivist quantitative and postpositivist qualitative approaches regarding the methods of study.