What are the three basic methods of scientific research?

Generally speaking, scientific research is a systematic activity to pursue knowledge or solve problems; The problems to be solved are all related to the essence and laws of the research object, which are hidden in the phenomenon, that is, behind the empirical materials. Only when the empirical materials about the object are complete, accurate and reliable can we establish correct concepts and theories on the basis of these materials, reveal the essence and laws of the object, and solve scientific research topics, that is, scientific problems. The method of obtaining empirical materials is empirical method, which usually includes the following four aspects:

1, literature research method

The development of educational technology has a strong historical inheritance, and literature research is to have a comprehensive historical understanding of the problems to be solved. With this understanding, we can stand on the shoulders of predecessors, take the achievements of predecessors and contemporary as the starting point for further progress, do not repeat what predecessors have done, avoid the detours that predecessors have taken, and focus on creative research.

Literature research is a retrieval method of professional abstracts, indexes, reference books, CDs and Internet educational information resources, and it is also a method to identify the authenticity of documents, give full play to their value and creatively use them.

2. Social survey methods

Social investigation is a method by which people investigate social phenomena purposefully and consciously and obtain direct information from various elements and structures in the social system. According to the different purposes, objects and contents of the survey, social survey can be divided into interview survey, questionnaire survey, case survey and other methods. In the research of educational technology, questionnaires are often used.

3. Field observation method

On-the-spot observation is a method for researchers to use their own sensory organs or scientific observation instruments purposefully and systematically to directly understand the social phenomena that are happening in the natural state.

4. Experimental research methods

As a method of scientific understanding, experiment was first applied in the field of natural science, and then gradually transplanted to the field of social science. Experimental research method is a way for experimenters to consciously understand the nature and laws of experimental objects by changing the practical activities of some social environments. The basic elements of experimental research methods are experimenters, that is, purposeful and conscious subjects in experimental research; Experimental object, that is, the object to be recognized in experimental research; The experimental environment and means, that is, the social conditions of the subjects. In the experimental research of educational technology, the experimental environment is a specific social condition for using modern information technology for teaching activities; Its experimental means is to stimulate, intervene, control and detect the activities of the subjects with the help of modern information technology. The process of experimental research is the process of interaction and influence of these elements.

Second, the theoretical method

To achieve a complete scientific understanding, it is not enough to use only empirical methods. It is also necessary to use the theoretical method of scientific understanding to sort out and analyze the perceptual materials obtained from investigation, observation and experiment, and to process the original scattered, one-sided and superficial perceptual materials, so as to upgrade them to essential, profound and systematic rational understanding. The theoretical method in scientific research method is to provide concrete thinking methods and processing steps for this leap from perceptual knowledge to rational knowledge.

1, mathematical method

The so-called mathematical method is to use mathematical tools to process a series of quantities of the research object, so as to make correct explanations and judgments and get the results expressed in digital form.

The object of scientific research is the unity of quality and quantity. Their quality and quantity are closely related, and qualitative change and quantitative change restrict each other. To achieve a real scientific understanding, we should not only study the qualitative stipulation, but also pay attention to the investigation and analysis of their quantity, so as to understand the essential characteristics of the research object more accurately. In the research of educational technology, mathematical methods mainly adopt statistical processing and fuzzy mathematical analysis.

2. Thinking method

Scientific thinking method is an important tool for people to think correctly and express their thoughts accurately. The most commonly used scientific thinking methods in scientific research include induction and deduction, analogical reasoning, abstract generalization, speculative imagination, analysis and synthesis, etc. It has universal guiding significance for all scientific research.

Third, systematic and scientific methods.

In the 20th century, the rapid development of horizontal science such as system theory, cybernetics and information theory provided powerful means for the development of comprehensive thinking mode and the continuous improvement of scientific research methods. Systematic scientific methods represented by system theory, cybernetics and information theory provide powerful subjective means for human scientific understanding. It not only breaks through the limitations of traditional methods, but also profoundly changes the system of scientific methodology. These new methods can be used as an empirical method, as a method to obtain perceptual materials, or as a theoretical method to analyze the rise of perceptual materials to rational knowledge, and the role of the latter is more obvious than the former. They are suitable for all stages of scientific understanding, so we call them systematic scientific methods.