The Nature and Essence of Scientific Research
15 Pages Posted: 22 Feb 2016
Date Written: February 21, 2016
Abstract
Scholars have deeply engaged themselves in plethora of arguments regarding the scientific nature of research enterprise. While some argue that research is not scientific in nature due to its area of operations and the nature of its subject matter, others, particularly the social scientists, argue that despite the claims of the ‘pure’ sciences, research still abstracts from the characteristics of science - involving rigorous scientific experimentations/investigations and adhering to the principles of scientific laid down rules of research processes. This paper explores the nature of scientific research with the aim of evaluating the processes of science/social research and investigation to examine how scientific they are and how they apply as systematic. In this regard the paper descriptively surveys the meaning of research, scientific research and acquisition of knowledge, scientific research as a process, characteristics of scientific research, terminologies of scientific research and basic procedures for scientific research. Having evaluated all the features of research the paper agrees to the fact that the essence of research is scientific in nature.
Keywords: Research, Nature of Research, Scientific Research, Characteristics of Research, Essence of Research, Research Procedure, Scientific Investigation
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