Methods of Scientific Knowledge

The methods of scientific cognition are the complexity of methods and operations aimed at the theoretical and practical mastery of the phenomena of the real world. Methods are necessary to achieve a given scientific goal.

The methods of scientific cognition are divided according to the breadth of their applicability in the process of scientific research. So the following groups of methods are distinguished.

Universal methods , which are also called general philosophical. These include metaphysical and dialectical methods.

General scientific methods used for research in various fields of science, and which have a fairly wide range of applications in interdisciplinary research.

Private scientific methods used strictly within the framework of research of a specific, concrete science or a separate scientific phenomenon.

The methods of scientific knowledge are divided not only in the field of application, but also in the levels of cognition. Empirical and theoretical methods are distinguished by this criterion.

Empirical methods of scientific knowledge Use experiment, description, observation and measurement.

Observation is the perception of the phenomena of the surrounding reality in order to study them. The description is the fixation by means of natural or artificial language of information about the objects being studied. An experiment is an observation in specially created for this and controlled conditions, which allow to restore the course of events and phenomena when the initial conditions are repeated. Comparison (measurement) - comparison of objects for certain similar properties or simultaneous relative study and evaluation of common properties or attributes of objects.

Theoretical methods operate with the help of idealization, generalization (systematization of empirical facts), axiomatization (the construction of theories on the basis of axioms) and formalization (construction of abstract models of the phenomena studied). At both these levels, the modeling method is applied.

Structure and methods of scientific knowledge Are interrelated. In the structure of scientific knowledge there are two links: scientific hypotheses (assumptions) and factual material (firmly established facts). Depending on the historical stage of the development of scientific knowledge, the norms of cognition changed.

The methodology of science pursues the goal of creating new methods and methods for solving problems that arise before society and science. Many methods of scientific knowledge are all less effective. Today, for the study of scientific facts, methods of classical natural science, rather than complexes of methods within the framework of the system approach, are increasingly being used.

Systematic approach to the application of methods of scientific knowledge is that in the study of an object as a whole system, its elements are considered not individually, but in combination and interconnection. And also in the research it is obligatory to take into account not only the internal connections of the phenomena under study, but also the external conditions of their existence.

The scientific and technological revolution has raised the level of science to a higher level.

For scientific research, the establishment of a concrete fact is inadequate. It is important to give him a correct explanation of the scientific nature, from the standpoint of modern knowledge, to reveal its practical or theoretical significance. Objective knowledge in science is carried out with the help of specific methods, conducted with a certain sequence, the application of mandatory techniques and operations.

Since science is divided into natural and humanitarian, then the methods used for research by these sciences distinguish between natural and social-humanitarian. By branches of science, they are classified as mathematical, medical, biological, socio-economic, etc.