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Fundamentals of Research
Anna Albright
BSHS/382
May 19, 2014

Fundamentals of Research
Describe the Scientific Method The scientific method is compiled of a standard set of techniques that can be used to increase knowledge by making valid observations, interpreting results and simplifying those results. By using the scientific method researches are able to tests pre-existing results as well as modify and refine them or open up prior research for debate. According to Anol Bhattacherjee “the scientific method must satisfy four characteristics: replicability, precision, falsifiability and parsimony.” (Bhattacherjee, 2012)
The definition of replicability is in the word meaning the research should be able to be replicated or repeated by other researchers and yet acquire similar or the same results.
Precision means that although theoretical concepts can be difficult to measure they must be explained with intense precision that other researchers will be able to use the same explanations to measure the same concepts and test that same theory. According to Anol Bhattacherje “ the definition of falsifiability is that a theory must be stated in a way that it can be disproven. Theories that cannot be tested or falsified are not scientific theories and any such knowledge is not scientific knowledge.” (2012)
If a theory consists of ideas that are not accurately measurable or cannot be tested it cannot be deemed as scientific. “Parsimony occurs when there are multiple explanations of a phenomenon; scientists must always accept the simplest or logically most economical explanation. Parsimony prevents scientists from pursuing overly complex or outlandish theories with endless number of concepts and relationships that may explain a little bit of everything but nothing in particular.” Anol Bhattacherjee (2012)
Any research not tolerating the scientific method to be used

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