User:Vidyashri D G/sandbox

Spiral of Scientific Method

Introduction

Knowledge gained as a result of everyday occurrences. Formulation of generalization based on first hand experience and the use of logical reasoning. Scientific method is pursuit of truth as determined by logical considerations. The Scientific method is one and the same in all branches of science and that method is the method of all logically trained minds. History

17th century gave birth to modern Scientific method Francis Bacon planted the seed of Scientific method. Reaching conclusions on the basis of observed facts. Spiral of Scientific method characterized by never ending spiral. Conceptualized by Dr.S.R Ranganathan. Spiral of scientific method helpful in the studies on the mode of development of subjects

Endless Spiral

The next stage in the development of the Classified Catalogue Code was conditioned by the advent of scientific method. In scientific method there is a never ending spiral: From individual experiences, through generalization to empirical laws derived from them, with aid of induction and normal equations through their reduction to a few normative principles, with the aid of imagination and or intuition. Through deductive laws or canons derived from the normative principles with the aid of methods of inference and semantics. Through fresh individual experiences not conforming to them. Back again through another cycle So on, without end.

2. Establishment of Cycle:

Such a Cycle of development has now been established in cataloguing. Therefore, both the teaching of cataloguing and the framing of Catalogues Code can have the benefit of normative principle. New types of reading materials, apparently transcending the capacity of the existing rules of a Catalogues Code, may be catalogues by a proper interpretation of its rules. If this is not adequate, the rules can be amended or extended with the aid and as a necessary implication, of the normative principles. When the cumulated unconscious shift in the social purpose of the library calls for an altogether different kind of library service, organization, and the current ones stand abandoned by sheer folk force, new normative principles should replace the old ones. And the cycle should be started again (RF9).

3. Critical Study of Codes:

A critical examination of Catalogues Code can be made with the aid of the normative principles. So also can be made a comparative study of several Catalogues Codes. Lastly and Catalogues Code can be rectified in their light. 4. Verbal Apparatus: The success of critical or comparative study will depend on the verbal apparatus used to express thought and communicate it. The verbal apparatus should not create “noise” in the process of communication. It should not do so even in self communication. Grossly disturbing noise is usually caused by the presence of homonyms and synonyms in the verbal apparatus. Even more dangerous and virus like is the subtle difference in the shade of meaning of a word or phrase, due to slight shift in undertones and overtones. To minimize this we should begin any discipline with the establishment of a special, agreed, dry as dust terminology without even the slightest touch of fuzziness. But such a special terminology will have to begin with some undefined terms. These should be clearly stated. Again the meta language with which w handle the special terminology both at the stages of development of thought, should be closely watched, if it is also drawn from the same natural language as the terminology itself. This is so in the discipline of cataloguing today. The special terminology should become spontaneous and instantaneous. Its use should be as much the result of reflex action as that of mother tongue. This is an essential factor in scientific method.

5. First Approximation:

The first application of such a scientific method to cataloguing and to Catalogues Code was made in 1937.Between 1934 and 1937 some of the rules of the Classified Catalogues Code came up for critical examination from time to both in class room discussion and in staff meeting s to consider problem books in cataloguing. On the anvil of such critical discussions and as a necessary aid to them, certain normative principles of cataloguing took shape. There were different from the Five Laws of Library Science. Indeed they were all implications of these Laws. They were also different from the normative principles common to all spheres of human action and thought. The special normative principles were called canons of cataloguing. These were the product of impersonal intellectual grind during the prolonged earlier stages and of imagination with a touch of intuition at the difficult final stages. I had the unusual privilege of continuously subjecting my Classified Catalogues Code and the other codes to a severe semantic analysis and check up in the pure intellectual plane in the class room and in staff meetings. This helped the formulation of the Canons and it also led eventually to the settings up of the scientific method in the Discipline of Cataloguing. The experience of this first attempt was recorded in Theory of library catalogue (RT1) in 1937. Four cardinal points of Scientific Method Nadir: Accumulation of facts obtained by observation, experimentation Ascendant: The accumulation of inducted or empirical laws got out of the facts accumulated at the Nadir. Zenith: The fundamental laws formulated with the aid of institution of some degree or other so as to comprehend all the inducted or empirical laws accumulated at the ascendant. Descendant: The accumulation of the deducted laws got from the fundamental laws at the Zenith.

Advantages

•	Characterizes a discipline on the basis of its method of development

•	Any discipline may adopt the scientific method in its development

•	Certain specific attributes of the different subjects become clear.

Features and Functions:

Spiral of Scientific method is characterized by never ending spiral, conceptualized by Dr. S R Ranganathan helpful in the studies on the mode of development of subjects. The cycle implied in the spiral will be followed in the clockwise direction. For convenience of reference, the four cardinal point of the cycle are denoted by the terms Nadir, Ascendant, Zenith and Descendent. The Nadir marks the accumulation of the facts, obtained by observation, experimentation, and other similar forms of experience. The ascendant marks the accusation of inducted or empirical laws got out of the facts accumulated at the nadir, by inductive logic including normal equations and other aids from statistical calculus. The Zenith marks the fundamental laws formulated with the aid of intuition of some degree so as to comprehend all the inducted and empirical laws accumulated at the ascendant, as compelling implications. The descendent marks the accumulation of the deduced laws got from the fundamental laws at the Zenith, with the aid of deductive logic including general and all kinds of mathematical calculi. The four cardinal points give rise to four quadrants in the cycle implied in the spiral. For the convenience of reference, the quadrants will be numbered 1 to 4 respectively, as follows: Quadrant 1 is the one between descendent and Nadir;

Quadrant 2 is the one between Nadir and ascendant;

Quadrant 3 is the one between ascendant and Zenith; and

Quadrant 4 is the one between Zenith and descendent

References

http://www.slideshare.net/arunjosephs/spiral-of-scientific-method-arun-joseph-mphil https://www.google.co.in/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=w7LVufJMMau8wfU6b0Q&gws_rd=ssl#q=origin+of+spiral+of+scientific+method