CHAPTER 9. GENERAL LOGICAL METHODS OF RESEARCH § 9.1. Analysis and synthesis

Lecture



All general scientific methods of cognition are divided into three groups:

  • - general logical methods;
  • - methods of empirical research;
  • - methods of theoretical research.


The purpose of this chapter – is to briefly describe the methods that belong to the group of general logical methods.
Key concepts of this chapter: analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, complete induction, incomplete induction, simple (popular) induction, scientific induction, analogy, abstraction, generalisation.

CHAPTER 9. GENERAL LOGICAL METHODS OF RESEARCH § 9.1. Analysis and synthesis

§ 9.1. Analysis and synthesis


Analysis is a procedure of mentally (and, in experimental research, often actually) breaking down objects, their properties and relations into constituent parts (features, properties, relations).
Synthesis is a procedure for studying a phenomenon
on the basis of combining interrelated elements into a single whole.

Any process of obtaining new knowledge is based on the unity of analysis and synthesis. The following types of analysis and synthesis are distinguished:
empirical, elementary-theoretical, structural-genetic.

The empirical (direct) type of analysis-synthesis involves a superficial study of the object, the identification of its individual parts,
the recording of its properties, and simple measurements. This type of analysis-synthesis is insufficient for penetrating the essence of the phenomenon.

The elementary-theoretical (recursive) type of analysis-synthesis involves carrying out the operations of analysis and synthesis on the
basis of certain theoretical considerations (assumptions about cause-and-effect relationships between phenomena, about the existence of laws and regularities in the behaviour of objects).

The structural-genetic type of analysis-synthesis involves singling out, within a complex object, those key elements that have a decisive influence on all the other aspects of the object. This type of analysis-synthesis makes it possible to penetrate most deeply into the essence
of the object (Example 9.1).

Example 9.1
Different types of analysis in scientific research

Studying the process by which income is generated at an enterprise involves the application of the following types of analysis:

  • - empirical analysis: the enterprise's income is broken down by workshop;
  • - elementary-theoretical analysis: costs and output are singled out within the enterprise's results of operation (since income is formed as the difference between revenue and costs);
  • - structural-genetic analysis: taxes, labour remuneration and profit are singled out within the enterprise's results of operation, and within profit – the resources for development, as the basis of the enterprise's future income.

Comments

To leave a comment

If you have any suggestion, idea, thanks or comment, feel free to write. We really value feedback and are glad to hear your opinion.
To reply

Lectures and tutorial on "Fundamentals of Scientific Research and the organization of research activities"

Terms: Fundamentals of Scientific Research and the organization of research activities

INTRODUCTION to scientific research
CHAPTER 1. Concepts: science, scientific thinking, non-science, pseudoscience, protoscience, the demarcation problem
1.2. The concept of science. Main functions and features of science
1.1. Science as a system of knowledge and a socio-cultural phenomenon, distinctions between science and other elements of culture
1.3. Classification of sciences
1.4. Specifics of economic science
1.5. Stages in the formation of science
1.6. Cyclical development of science
1.2. Organization of education and science in Ukraine
1.3. Training of scientific personnel in Ukraine
1.4. The "master's" qualification and its scientific status
1.5. Master's-level training in the education system of Ukraine
CHAPTER 2. MAIN CATEGORIES OF SCIENCE 2.1. Science as a system of knowledge. Fact, hypothesis, theory, concept
2.2. The concept of hypothesis: types, functions, stages of development, the concept of a version
2.3. Methodology, method, procedure - concepts, applications and examples, tests
CHAPTER 3. 3.1. Scientific research - concept, classification, features, technology and stages
3.2. Formulating the topic, problem and objective, the object and subject of scientific research, choosing a topic
3.3. Forming the hypothesis, procedure and working plan of the research
3.4. Results of scientific research: types and requirements, the concept of scientific novelty
2.2. Objects and subjects of scientific research, their classification, interrelation and interdependence
2.3. Terminology of research work, vocabulary
2.4. Levels (theoretical, empirical) and methods of scientific cognition (observation, experiment, comparison, modeling, abstraction, analysis, measurement)
3. Fundamentals of scientific and technical information 3.1. The state system of scientific and technical information
3.2. Main sources of information and their reliability and authority
3.3. Systematization of documents in organizing information retrieval 3.4. Structure of the Universal Decimal Classification
3.5. Bibliographic search for literary sources
CHAPTER 4. THE TECHNIQUE OF WORKING WITH SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE 4.1. Stages of working with literature during scientific research. Compiling a bibliography
4.2. How to properly read literary sources
4.4. Recording what has been read - abstract, excerpt, summary notes, scientific review
5. PRESENTING THE RESULTS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH § 5.1. Forms of presenting the results of scientific research
§ 5.2. Requirements for a scientific article and a scientific presentation
6. Working on the manuscript of a scientific work 6.1. Preparing the draft manuscript
6.2. Structure of a scientific work
6.3. Sectioning (rubrication) of the text of a scientific work
6.4. Techniques for presenting scientific material
6.5. Language and style of a scientific work
CHAPTER 6. SYSTEMS APPROACH, SYSTEMS THINKING, SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 6.1. The concept of a system
6.2. Systems approach
6.3. Systems thinking
6.4. Systems analysis
7. RESEARCH CREATIVITY AND HEURISTICS 7.1. The concept of heuristics
7.2. Heuristic rules
7.3. Heuristic methods - brainstorming, synectics, checklist questions, focal objects, TRIZ techniques, association, morphological analysis, scenarios, the Gordon method, target discussions, Metra
§ 8.1. Concept. Characteristics of concepts. Types of concepts - CHAPTER 8. METHODOLOGY OF WORKING WITH CONCEPTS
§ 8.2. Generic and specific concepts
§ 8.3. Определение – как логическая операция
§ 8.4. Classification as a multi-stage, branching division - its tasks and types
CHAPTER 9. GENERAL LOGICAL METHODS OF RESEARCH § 9.1. Analysis and synthesis
9.2. Deduction and induction as logical operations
§ 9.3. Analogy as a type of inductive inference, and its varieties
§ 9.4. Abstraction and generalisation in business and research activity, types of abstractions and generalisations
CHAPTER 10. THE MODELLING METHOD § 10.1. The concept of a model
§ 10.2. Classification of models
10.3. Mathematical and economic-mathematical modelling
CHAPTER 11. METHODS OF THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL RESEARCH 11.1. Methods of theoretical research
§ 11.2. Methods of empirical research
CHAPTER 12. ORGANISATION OF RESEARCH ACTIVITY AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH § 12.1. The concept of research activity and its types
12.2. Forms of organising research activity
12.3. Forms of financing research activity. Grants
CHAPTER 13. INFORMATION SUPPORT FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH § 13.1. Information support for scientific research
§ 13.2. Bibliographic information
§ 13.3. Internet information retrieval systems
13.4. Ukraine's national system of scientific and technical information
CHAPTER 14. TECHNOLOGY OF WORKING ON A DISSERTATION § 14.1. The system of certifying research personnel in Ukraine
§ 14.2. The process of working on a dissertation
7. Formatting academic work 7.1. Basic principles of formatting academic work
7.2. Enumerations (lists) in academic work
7.3. Tables, formulas, drawings, figures, diagrams and charts in academic work
7.4. Using quotations and formatting borrowings in academic work
7.5. Working with the bibliographic apparatus when writing academic work (a master's thesis or dissertation)
CHAPTER 15. DEFENCE OF RESEARCH RESULTS 8.1. Preliminary review of a master's thesis
8.2. Preparing for the defence of a master's thesis
8.3. The procedure for the public defence of a master's thesis, and the main criteria for evaluating a final qualification paper
§ 15.1. Preparing for the defence of a dissertation
§ 15.2. Defence of dissertation research results
CHAPTER 16. IMPLEMENTATION OF RESEARCH RESULTS § 16.1. Implementation of research results
§ 16.2. The effectiveness of research results
Academic borrowing when writing academic work
Scientific research - self-test question banks with answers and diagram-based hints
Case-control studies: their shortcomings and excesses
Scientific knowledge - essence, criteria, classification and organization
Scientific communication - types, history, purposes
Fraud in science (scientific fraud)
Open science (UNESCO): concept, principles, values, advantages and risks
Scientific research: topic tests with answers
Conclusion of the course on the fundamentals of scientific research