Scientific Research Methodology

Author: Wang Hui (Editor-in-Chief) / Mi Wenhan (Deputy Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book aims to explore the methodological issues of the occurrence, formation, testing, and evaluation of scientific research, with the goal of bridging the gap between theory and practice through methodology. The book consists of seven chapters. Chapter 1 primarily discusses the nature, object, and characteristics of scientific research methodology, clarifying the essence of scientific research methodology through an examination of the distinctions and connections between natural science, humanities, and social sciences. By reviewing the history of cognitive methods in China and abroad, the development and progress of scientific research methodology are explored. Marxist philosophy provides a worldview and methodological guidance for scientific research, serving as a guide for conducting scientific studies. This is the content of Chapter 2. Scientific research is a dynamic and endless process of inquiry, and its first step is to identify problems and determine research topics. By formulating a clear research plan, the direction of scientific research is established. "Scientific research begins with problems" is the proposition of the methodology of the occurrence of scientific research. The process of scientific research occurrence requires attention to the selection of research topics, the formulation of research plans, and the collection and accumulation of materials. This is the content of Chapter 3. In scientific research, the application of methods is extremely important, and logical thinking methods are an indispensable tool in the scientific research process. Additionally, with the development of neuroscience, people are increasingly recognizing the irreplaceable role of non-logical thinking, such as inspirational thinking and figurative thinking, in scientific research. The development of modern systems science has supplemented and enriched the content of materialist dialectics and has also injected new methods into scientific research, which should be given due attention in our research. This is the content of Chapters 4 and 5. Any scientific research achievement must be expressed in the form of a scientific theoretical system. How to establish a scientific theoretical system is the main content of Chapter 6. Once a scientific theoretical system is formed, it cannot be immediately applied to reality. It must undergo testing and evaluation by specialized institutions. Only scientific theoretical systems that pass evaluation and testing can have their achievements applied to practice, allowing theory to be realized. The evaluation of scientific achievements has evaluation criteria; the testing of scientific theories includes both practical testing and logical testing. This is the content of Chapter 7. Scientific research methodology is the theory of methods in scientific research, which is a branch of cognitive science. We attempt to identify the universal and general aspects from the complex process of scientific research and strive to express them clearly.