1.4 Research elements

The path of scientific work:

— begins with the live monitoring,

— turns to the abstract thinking,

— continues with the practical implementation.

The research process involves the accumulation of facts, the creation of hypotheses and theories.

The fact is the basic concept, which is resulting from experience and experiments. The facts are systematized, generalized, logically comprehended. The facts become an integral part of the scientific knowledge, if they are systematized. They are systematized and summarized using their abstractions, i.e. their concepts or definitions.

The hypothesis is a scientifically grounded supposition, which is put forward to explain some of the processes. The hypothesis can be true or false after its checking. The hypothesis appears frequently as the original formulation, the next version of the law to be opened. It should be emphasized that the hypothesis plays a very important role in the development of any science, because it is a essential form of the development. Most of the scientific laws and theories have been formulated on the basis of previously made hypotheses.

The theory is the highest form of generalization and systematization of knowledge, i.e., it is the doctrine of generalized experience, practice. The scientific principles and methods are formulated in theory.

The scientific research is a form of the science development, the study of the relations between the phenomena in order to obtain the solutions, which are convincingly proven and useful both for science and practice.

The scientific research is a very broad concept that covers all processes from the idea to its realization in the form of new theoretical positions, development of new technologies.

The scientific research has the object and the theme. They are target of the research.

The logical way of experience is a way that allows on the basis of reasoning to explain the phenomena and processes in the field of research. This way contributes to the emergence of new ideas and challenges, a tracing solutions. It is based on the facts, which are obtained and the results of empirical studies.

The qualitative research has the following features:

— a high level of scientific conclusions and generalizations,

— high reliability of new categories,

— high-performance applications,

— the results provide the basis for new scientific developments.

The system of knowledge is the sum of facts, concepts, principles, hypotheses, laws, theories, which can predict events and manage financial activities. Such systematic scientific experience is characterized by a set of features:

1. Universality is a key feature of knowledge. It means that any scientific discovery is the total expression of human progress in the knowledge of the world. Science is social in its origin, development and use. The system of scientific knowledge belongs to everyone, so it can be used effectively only with the development of social labor, production, trade on a large scale.

2. Provability and reproducibility of the categories is important requirement for scientific knowledge.

3. Durability. The rapid aging of knowledge suggests a lack of depth and weak generalizations, inaccuracies of the accepted hypotheses and established laws.

Where the knowledge is stored

The scientific knowledge is systematically set out in books, articles, patents, reports, and so on.

Types of research

The scientific research is usually done as the research and development (R&D) work. In general, the whole research can be divided into three basic types: theoretical, searching and applied research.

The need for research in applied sciences is dictated by the needs and the practical activities of people, challenges posed by science production.

When research, the cognitive tasks are solved. Three kinds of cognitive tasks can be distinguished: empirical, theoretical and logical.

1. The empirical cognitive task is the selection and careful study of the facts.

The experiment is a method of the research, when the researcher deliberately interferes with the behavior of objects or phenomena, or processes in order to obtain specific quantitative and / or qualitative data on the subject, which is being studied.

2. The theoretical problem is solved when the researcher does not deal with real objects, and approaches beyond the limits of their performance, which is directly monitored. It reproduces the phenomena mechanism or processes in various models of the real objects. Thus, the model study allows him to explain the established facts. However, theoretical knowledge has to be tested empirically.

3. The logical problem can be solved by logic.

The logical method is a manipulation of knowledge and means for their production, which allows the researcher to acquire new knowledge without going after each stage of reasoning to empirical (experimental) verification. Putting the problem, the researcher carries out the logical analysis of scientific knowledge, separates the precisely established knowledge from the hypothetical one.

Logical problems could be addressed in the organization of scientific research, in the construction of the theory and in the development of hypotheses that must satisfy the logical and epistemological requirements. The essence of these requirements is that all the terms, concepts, signs must be in-one relations.