Target setting of the research problems of a scientific research

The target setting of a scientific research may be presented by the following stages.

Detection of need for the solution of a concrete scientific problem.

The need of changes of an existing situation arises under different degree of the problem acuteness. It may be the knowledge at a level of some local theory, for example, when one needs necessary explanations of an empirical fact, or predictions of results of some effects; a technical inconsistency, when the known technologies do not allow to achieve desirable effect; an administrative contradiction, which is expressed in a great desire to change somehow the situation by himself when nobody can help to do that. In some cases the need for a solution of a concrete scientific problem should be planned. It is especially evident, for example, in the field of defense technology development. Thus, we face the need for new scientific knowledge.

Ascertainment of need in realization of scientific research. The realization of scientific research is not required, if its prospective result is known and accessible. As a rule, only one scientist or small group of the scientists who worked together and made new scientific knowledge available to all, are considered as the pioneer discoverers of the scientific fact, theory or process. At the same time it is necessary to bear in mind the historic facts that the discoveries which do not become open to general use often do not bring scientific glory to their authors. Even today this problem is urgent. It is difficult to count on research results published by provincial publishing houses to become accessible and known to scientific community of central regions of a country or abroad. To make the research results obtained by a scientist available to all your colleagues, they should be published at the central scientific editions which are translated into foreign languages; to do that, one should show boldness and persistence.

The scientist should get used to the fact that in science there is a severe competition, and if he is on a boundary of new knowledge, there may be some other researchers following his heels. The researcher may come across some publications in different, especially central editions, concerning problem solutions close to those he is engaged in, and these solutions may not necessarily be in the same branch of science and not in the same magazines he has got used to read. For example, they may be found in some popular scientific magazines. At the same time, the solution methods and results of the same scientific problem may essentially differ in its form and essence depending of their authors. This circumstance should correctly be used by the researcher for substantiation of his own point of view.

After careful review of literature published in central scientific and popular scientific editions, and in case no analogous or similar solutions have been found, the researcher should plan a fundamental work for obtaining an independent solution.

Definition and ranking of the purposes of scientific research.

The need for the solution of a scientific problem is embodied as an organic part in the purpose of scientific research. The purpose is a product of need for the solution. The legibly formulated need determines the purpose in many respects. Apparently, it is appropriate to stress and repeat here, that the main purpose determining scientific activity, is obtaining new scientific knowledge about a reality in a concrete branch of science. A product of engineering activity is a project, technology or invention. More often they are connected to science; however, a society is interested in them to a greater extent from the point of view of practical outcome, than in quantity and quality of the obtained knowledge. It is new knowledge that is the main purpose of scientific dissertational research presented for defence.

Creation of scientific theory, perhaps, is the most desirable dream of each scientist and it is the purpose of his scientific work.

“… the search for truth, doubtlessly, is an inspiration of scientific knowledge; however, ascertainment of truth at a theoretical level is impossible in principle. Any theory, as history of science reveals, can be disproved in future.”

K.Popper

“An erronuous theory which does not come across contradictions, will not be less incorrect, just as the criminal behaviour which has not been halted by justice, does not become less criminal.”

L.Brouwer

At realization of scientific research the main purpose is disintegrated into subgoals which jointly determine scientific and technical activity: analysis of known facts, creation of a new technique, arrangement of experiments, generalization, formulation of scientific conclusions, etc. They should be properly arranged which leads to the ranking of purposes and to a definite sequence in a scientific search.

Systematization of a data domain of a thesis.

Methodization is one of essential features of a scientific character. The scientific systematization of knowledge has a lot of relevant features: tendency to completeness, clear understanding of the systematization fundamentals and their consistency. The huge area of scientific knowledge is divided into separate disciplines.

Methodization is realised through ability to classify a subject and object of research. The classification not only makes the research systematic, but it also precisely defines the scientific niche which a competitor is going to develop.

One may consider the classifications that have features of a system as a system classification. The features of the system classification become apparent, first of all, in its new integrative properties, for example, heuristic, permitting to forecast or invent new system components, which were earlier unknown, and finding them is only matter of time. The history of science knows many such examples of that kind. A representative example of a matrix system classification is so-called Mendeleyev’s periodic table of chemical elements.

It is desirable that any classification should meet the following requirements. The classification is considered satisfactory if it divides a data domain according to three to six essential features. At the same time, if the author has managed to make classification vivid and demonstrable with its other advantages, which would be combined with maximal coverage of the data domain, the classification originality is reached.

Definition of conditions and limitations. This procedure makes possible to evaluate capabilities and reality of the scientific problem solution. The limitations can be connected with time, material, information, and energy. Deepening the scientific search one may reveal some features, which will distinguish your personal concept, methodology, structure, technology, design etc. from other authors’ approach.

Definition of problems of scientific research.

At this stage the formulation of problems of scientific research should be found, which represents the purpose of research under some input data, limitation conditions in space and time, in material means, energy and information. It is these limitations, condition, and input data that transform an imaginary project into a scientific task or problem.

As a rule, a number of tasks are usually stated in this work, which is connected with different aspects of the general problem: necessity of development of theoretical positions of a subject of research, carrying out tests, development of new methods and recommendations on usage of new knowledge, etc.

SEARCH, EXPLORE, & GATHER THE EVIDENCE

This step or stage is the heart of problem solving and contributes to the importance of the scientific method. You start to search everywhere, explore all angles, leads, clues, and sources of information.

Pick out the basic principles of the material you read, see, or hear. Gather all the evidence that will help you solve the problem, always trying to use innovation and creativity, thus building your list of possible tentative solutions.

Learn how to process information productively. Put your thoughts in writing.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16