Formulating a Research Question

The Scientific Method

The scientific method engages the researcher in a methodical process for formulating ideas and conclusions in the context of research. Research must employ the scientific method in order to ensure that the inquiry has been thoughtfully approached and that the results have been systematically obtained. The scientific method is a systematic process of observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and incorporation of the results. For example, are the results expected or unexpected? Whether the results were expected or unexpected, how do they fit in (or not) with the hypothesis? Should the hypothesis be revised in any way based on the results? This is the process by which all scientific information is gathered. It is applied in all science-related fields, such as biology, chemistry, physics, and the social sciences as well, which includes psychology.

The way to apply the scientific method to the field of forensic psychology is the same way as it would be applied for any other field. For example, let's start with an observation. Let's say an observation is made that some male criminal offenders have long hair and then a hypothesis was made that long-haired individuals are more likely to commit crimes than short-haired individuals. Data could possibly be gathered to look at arrest pictures (mug shots) to see whether most of the male arrestees had long or short hair. Such an investigation would likely demonstrate that some, but not all (in fact a minority) of male criminal offenders have long hair. Therefore, that information would need to be integrated with the initial hypothesis, which would mean revising the initial hypothesis since the data that was obtained did not confirm. A way to modify the original hypothesis would be to postulate whether some aspects of hygiene or grooming (rather than just hair length) are related to criminal behavior. The scientific process would need to begin all over again to investigate this new hypothesis.

http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/methods/index.html