WHAT MAKES SOCIAL
SCIENCE RESEARCH SCIENTIFIC?
1.
Only
statements with good basis are made (as differentiated from mere conjectures, gossips,
and without basis or evidence).
2.
Only
inferences supported by rules of logic, data, or methods of gathering data are
made and, as applicable, there is explicit recognition that there are competing
hypotheses not excluded or not falsified by the data or evidence available.
3.
There
is careful use of data and data gathering techniques such that reactivity are
eliminated, minimized, and recognized if unavoidable.
4.
There
is explicit recognition of rival hypotheses and other variables that can affect
or that may have affected the results of empirical investigation.
5.
Findings
are interpreted vis-à-vis earlier or ongoing research.
FALSIFICATION AS CURRENT PARADIGM ON THEORY: a theory is considered TRUE or tentatively true primarily NOT on whether we have evidence that it is true but primarily AS LONG AS NO POSSIBILITY EXIST THAT THE THEORY IS FALSE. Thus, consistent with the falsification paradigm on theory, the current thrust in research is to find out whether indeed no possibility exist that a theory or proposition is false rather than on whether we have evidence that a theory is true. Key principle in FALSIFICATION: a social science theory is not actually proven but either only corroborated or falsified.