What Is Science

What is science?
It is hard to answer this question briefly, because the answer to this depends on who you are talking to. Science to some is a collection of isolated and static facts listed in a text book. For other individuals it is something exciting where one discovers the universe and how it works. Science also can be useful knowledge that is powerful and reliable used to develop new technologies, treat diseases, and a tool to solve complex problems. No matter how one looks at science, everyone is a participant in its process. (The Guardian Science Blog 04 March 2009)

What are the features of the scientific methods?
The scientific method offers a few features which can be broken down into seven characteristics. They are: empiricism, verifiability, cumulative, self-correcting, deterministic, ethical/ideological neutrality, statistical generalizability. Empiricism is all things that would deal with empirical phenomena (Ellis Hartley and Walsh pg 16) in other words empiricism can be the hypothesis and it deals with things that one uses their sense such as: things that can be seen, felt, heard, tasted and smelled. Verifiability is the characteristic one uses to confirm or deny your empirical observation, and based on that one can try to repeat the discoveries until it is clear that the innovative report was an error or accurate. This feature allows scientists to verify their findings from other researches. Cumulative aspect allows researchers to start somewhere. This feature is unique because researchers can find out what others already have and gives them the option to add or remove from their research. Self-correcting is the act of identifying and correcting the errors made in the observation. Self-correcting is a great feature because as humans we are never perfect. When errors are made in observations, sooner or later mistakes will be identified (Ellis Hartley and Walsh pg 17). Determinism, although unproven, it is the testifying that the cause is likely and not of a paranormal, supernatural, or freewill explanation. Ethical and ideological neutrality is the scientist’s efforts to avoid their moral beliefs to affect the results. Statistical generalizability is the scientist defining what was learned and using a wide variety of rules
What types of questions are addressed by Social Scientists?
Nearly all types of questions addressed by social scientist to study a phenomenon can be summed into five categories, and they are questions that scientists are attempting to answer. These questions are measurement questions, descriptive questions, exploratory questions, causal questions, and evaluative questions. Measurement questions are questions one asks on how you should contract your subjects. For example do you want people who were only raped at night versus people raped any other time of the day? Descriptive questions helps the scientists to narrow down their subject pool more than one’s measurement question, such as men vs. women being raped at night. Exploratory question are question that gathers information about the events leading up to the event. For example what was one doing before they got raped? Were they intoxicated? Who were they with? etc. Causal questions on the other hand are questions which are difficult to answer, but attempt to answer question such as: does violence begets violence (Ellis Hartley and Walsh pg 23). Evaluative questions on the other hand are questions that are asked which modify the overview of the unknown. These questioning summed up are questions that are used to gather information that can be measured.

Briefly discuss other disciplines that utilize Social Science Research Methods
Scientist and those who use social sciences have a different customs of analyzing “the social” than those found in abstract social science since social scientists are concerned in human behavior; individual and collective; hence, other disciplines are used to conduct research on social relations and how they affect the behavior and choices of the individuals who operate within them (Little, 2007). Further disciplines such as: history, political science, sociology, and economics also apply social science research methods. They all offer foundations for research outline, facts, logic, and definitions to help advance social science research methods. Social scientists have continuously worked with different disciplines to have an integrated society. Therefore, in order to ensure such a thing, other disciplines will be needed in social science research methods.
References
The Guardian Science Blog 04 March 2009
Lee Ellis, Richard D. Hartley, Anthony Walsh. (2010). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology . Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Rowmen and Littlefield publishing group.
Little, D., (2007). “The social science disciplines”. Understanding Society

References: The Guardian Science Blog 04 March 2009 Lee Ellis, Richard D. Hartley, Anthony Walsh. (2010). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology . Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Rowmen and Littlefield publishing group. Little, D., (2007). “The social science disciplines”. Understanding Society