Self-Correcting Features of the SM-14 Formula
Stage 1 - Curious Observation. Encourages a researcher to use all his or her senses and consider all angles.
Stage 2 - Is There a Problem? Presenting a question rather than a statement guides thinking in a skeptical rather than definite direction. Encourages proper definition of problems.
Stage 3 - Goals and Planning. Requires quality work rather than a careless approach.
Stage 4 - Search, Explore, and Gather the Evidence. Teaches doing a thorough job of gathering the evidence. One of the major defects in research in the social sciences has been ignoring contrary evidence.
Stage 5 - Generate Creative and Logical Alternative Solutions. Some critics of the scientific method claim that it is only a rational method. This stage illustrates the need to look for creative solutions. It makes researchers consider other solutions, not only their favorites, which may be insufficient to find a solution.
Stage 6 - Evaluate the Evidence. All tentative solutions or hypotheses are evaluated and possibly tested in relation to each other.
Stage 7 - Make the Education Guess - the Hypothesis. Following the previous stages has helped the researcher to self-correct and not present a favorite hypothesis. He or she has been guided to do high-quality research and help preserve the integrity of the research process. Statements such as “scientists follow the norms of the research community” are too vague to be of value.
Continued tomorrow.
