What is the Difference Between Scientific and Non-Scientific Research?

The main difference between scientific and non-scientific research lies in their respective approaches to acquiring and validating knowledge. Here are some key differences between the two:

Scientific Research:

1. Follows a systematic and logical process.
2. Uses techniques such as observation, formulation, and testing hypotheses to collect data.
3. Produces verifiable and objective results.
4. Focuses on quantitative measures and uses controlled variables in experiments.
5. Can be repeated and is generalizable.

Non-Scientific Research:

1. Does not follow a scientific approach.
2. Relies on tradition, personal experience, intuition, logic, and authority to arrive at conclusions.
3. Collects data using observation.
4. May be exploratory in nature and not always replicable or generalizable.

Examples of scientific research include studies on the effectiveness of new medications, which involve carefully designed experiments with controlled variables and quantitative measures of improvement. On the other hand, examples of non-scientific research include surveys, case studies, and qualitative interviews, such as a survey conducted by a magazine to understand readers' preferences on their favorite holiday.

Comparative Table: Scientific vs Non-Scientific Research

Here is a table summarizing the differences between scientific and non-scientific research:

Scientific research follows a systematic and objective process to produce verifiable results, while non-scientific research is often exploratory in nature and not always replicable or generalizable.