ISBN 978-5-209-03657-9
«Methodology of Scientific Research» is a study book prepared by a
group of scholars from engineering faculty of Peoples’ Friendship University
of Russia. <...> The study book concentrates primarily on methods of data collecting and data analyzing which is extremely important for students in social
sciences including economics. <...> The main advantage of the study book is the
focus on creative thinking development and autonomous data search for researching of important socio-economic problems.
«Methodology of Scientific Research» is designed for students of
economic schools, individual researchers and those who feel interest in scientific methods of data analysis. <...> It offers
notions, concepts and instruments of science research to help
scholars in investigating topics connected with vast spheres of
social sciences including economics. <...> It was philosophers of Ancient Greece who were the first to start applying scientific
method to explain the existing reality. <...> XX century gives us hypothetic and deductive model of
scientific method. <...> If your hypothesis is true which
consequences or conclusions might it have due to the rules of
logic?
3. <...> Verification: look for facts which may contradict each of
there conclusions in order to refute your hypothesis. <...> Experiment.
3
Most Ancient philosophers considered 1st and 4th steps to
be extremely important. <...> Mention should be made that the scientific method will never be able to verify the hypothesis truth. <...> It
can only refute it and show that it is false.
4
SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
What is a Scientific Method? <...> Collecting
data is part of the scientific research process, and it also needs to
be analyzed and interpreted. <...> Example:
▪ At the end of the experiment, 50% of the bacteria in the
sample treated with penicillin were left alive. <...> The experiment showed that the moon is 384 403 km
away from the earth. <...> Qualitative measurements are based upon observation and they
generally require some type of numerical manipulation or scaling.
6
As an example, a social scientist interviewing drug addicts
in a series of case studies, and documenting what they see, is not
really performing science, although the research is still useful. <...> A medical researcher might <...>
_Methodology_of_Scientific_Research.pdf
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
Engineering Faculty
T.B. IVANOVA, A.A. KOZLOV, E.A. ZHURAVLEVA
METHODOLOGY
OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Study Book
Moscow
Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia
2012
Стр.2
УДК 001
ББК 72
И 20
У т в е р ж д е н о
РИС Ученого совета
Российского университета
дружбы народов
Р е ц е н з е н т ы:
доктор экономических наук, профессор Юха Хамадаинен,
доктор социологических наук, профессор Вели-Матти Ритакаллио
Ivanova T.B., Kozlov A.A., Zhuravleva E.A.
И 20 Methodology of Scientific Research (Методология научного
исследования) : Study Book / Т.Б. Иванова, А.А. Козлов,
Е.А. Журавлева. – М. : РУДН, 2012. – 76 с.
ISBN 978-5-209-03657-9
«Methodology of Scientific Research» is a study book prepared by a
group of scholars from engineering faculty of Peoples’ Friendship University
of Russia. It covers the main aspects of the nature and methods of scientific
research. The study book concentrates primarily on methods of data collecting
and data analyzing which is extremely important for students in social
sciences including economics. The main advantage of the study book is the
focus on creative thinking development and autonomous data search for researching
of important socio-economic problems.
«Methodology of Scientific Research» is designed for
students of
economic schools, individual researchers and those who feel interest in scientific
methods of data analysis.
ISBN 978-5-209-03657-9
© Иванова Т.Б., Козлов А.А., Журавлева Е.А., 2012
© Российский университет дружбы народов, Издательство, 2012
ББК 72
Стр.3
INTRODUCTION
The Study Book «Methodology of Scientific research» is
for students who are taking different Master courses. It offers
notions, concepts and instruments of science research to help
scholars in investigating topics connected with vast spheres of
social sciences including economics.
History of scientific research. It was philosophers of Ancient
Greece who were the first to start applying scientific
method to explain the existing reality. They paid much attention
to the logic of discussion setting up its main rules and principles
usually based on sophistic affirmations. Socrates, one of the
most famous philosophers, is known by his saying that the truth
is borne in discussion.
XX century gives us hypothetic and deductive model of
scientific method. It contained the following consequent actions:
1.
Use your experience: detect the problem and try to comprehend
it. Find its existing explanations. If the problem is new
for you take the next step.
2. Set up your hypothesis. Explain your idea and share it
with someone or expose it in a written form. Draw conclusions
from your hypothesis. If your hypothesis is true which
consequences or conclusions might it have due to the rules of
logic?
3. Verification: look for facts which may contradict each of
there conclusions in order to refute your hypothesis. Conclusions
according to the rules of logic cannot be used to confirm
the hypothesis. It can be considered as a logical error and is
known as «aaffirming the consequent» (Greek Επιβεβαίωση του
επομένου).
4. Experiment.
3
Стр.4
Most Ancient philosophers considered 1st and 4th steps to
be extremely important. Mention should be made that the scientific
method will never be able to verify the hypothesis truth. It
can only refute it and show that it is false.
4
Стр.5
CONTENTS
Introduction ……………………………………………………
Scientific Method and Research Methodology ………………..
Scientific Research Methods ………………………………….
How to choose from the different research methods ………….
Replication study ……………………………………………...
SWOT analysis ………………………………………………..
PEST analysis …………………………………………………
Steps of the scientific method …………………………………
Syllabus ………………………………………………………..
References ……………………………………………………..
3
5
14
34
41
43
49
54
65
75
76
Стр.77