Methods of Scientific Research - Videos & Lessons

About This Chapter

Through this chapter, you can improve your knowledge of the nature of science, methods of scientific inquiry, uses of scientific theories, hypothesis development, experiential design and the differences between quantitative and qualitative research.

Methods of Scientific Research - Chapter Summary

Watch the lessons of this chapter to study the principles and components of the scientific method and experimental design. Each lesson video is taught by one of our professional instructors, who is available to answer questions via the teacher tabs of the lessons so that you may have an effective way to review:

The principles of science and how science is different from pseudoscience
Steps and components of the scientific method
How scientific questions are developed using scientific observations
The purpose of hypotheses and how they are developed
Characteristics of scientific theories, how they are formed and how they are used
Requirements for a true experiment and the process of hypothesis testing
Advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and qualitative research

These and other topics are highlighted in this chapter's lessons, which are available to you online. Just use your Internet-connected mobile device to log on and study at your convenience. If you have questions for the instructors, you can submit them interactively.

7 Lessons in Chapter 31: Methods of Scientific Research

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1. The Nature of Science

This lesson will explore the basic nature of science. It will distinguish science from pseudoscience and hypothesis from theory and natural law; it will give plenty of examples of each.

2. The Scientific Method: Steps, Terms & Examples

The scientific method is more than just hypotheses and experiments. In this lesson, we'll explore the themes and variations that make up the world of science.

3. How Scientific Observations Lead to Scientific Questioning

Scientific observations are a major component of the scientific process because they lead scientists to ask questions about the world around them. These questions may then be refined with continued observation, or they may be tested through experimentation.

4. What is a Hypothesis? - Definition & Explanation

A hypothesis is an educated prediction that can be tested. You will discover the purpose of a hypothesis then learn how one is developed and written. Examples are provided to aid your understanding, and there is a quiz to test your knowledge.

5. What is the Scientific Theory? - Definition, Characteristics & Example

In this lesson, you'll learn the definition and characteristics of a scientific theory and understand how theories are formulated. You'll see examples of scientific theories, and after the lesson you can test your knowledge with a brief quiz.

6. Experimental Design in Science: Definition & Method

What are the requirements of a scientific experiment? How do scientists turn hypotheses into theories and laws? Learn the answers to these questions and more in this lesson on the design of scientific experiments.

7. Quantitative vs. Qualitative Research

In this lesson, we identify the differences between quantitative and qualitative research methods in the social sciences. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

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