What are the strengths and weakness of qualitative research?
Qualitative method
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Provide more detailed information to explain complex issues | More difficult to analyse; don’t fit neatly in standard categories |
| Multiple methods for gathering data on sensitive subjects | Data collection is usually time consuming |
| Data collection is usually cost efficient |
What is the purpose of scientific research?
The goal of scientific research is to discover laws and postulate theories that can explain natural or social phenomena, or in other words, build scientific knowledge. It is important to understand that this knowledge may be imperfect or even quite far from the truth.
What is revolutionary research?
Revolutionary discoveries often emerge from basic science and are critically dependent on nonrevolutionary research. Revolutionary discoveries may be conceptual or technological in nature, lead to the creation of new fields, and have a lasting impact on many fields in addition to the field from which they emerge.
What is the difference between normal science and revolutionary science?
Kuhn states that during a period of ‘normal science,’ scientists were guided by a preexisting paradigm, a widely accepted view. When scientists observe something that does not fit the paradigm, this area of science enters a time of ‘revolutionary science’ in which a possible new paradigm is created.
What are the main purposes of research?
The purpose of research is to enhance society by advancing knowledge through the development of scientific theories, concepts and ideas.
What is a scientific revolution according to Kuhn?
A shift in professional commitments to shared assumptions takes place when an anomaly “subverts the existing tradition of scientific practice” (6). These shifts are what Kuhn describes as scientific revolutions—”the tradition-shattering complements to the tradition-bound activity of normal science” (6).
What does Kuhn mean by normal science?
Normal science, identified and elaborated on by Thomas Samuel Kuhn in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, is the regular work of scientists theorizing, observing, and experimenting within a settled paradigm or explanatory framework.
What are the two main objectives of scientific research?
Many researchers agree that the goals of scientific research are: description, prediction, and explanation/understanding. Some individuals add control and application to the list of goals.