Scientific Method is a systematic and objective attempt to study a problem for the purpose of deriving general principles. Robert Burns describes it as “a systematic investigation to find solutions to a problem”.

Characteristics

Horton and Hunt have given following characteristics of scientific method :

• Verifiable evidence: it means factual observations which other observers can see and check.
• Accuracy: accuracy here signifies describing what really exists. It means truth or correctness of a statement or describing things exactly as they are and avoiding jumping to unwarranted conclusions either by exaggeration or fantasizing.
• Precision: Precision is making it as exact as necessary, or giving exact number or measurement.  For example:  Instead of saying, “most of the people were against family planning”, one says, “seventy-two per cent people were against family planning”.  Thus, in scientific precision, one avoids colourful literature and vague meanings.  How much precision is needed in social science will depend upon what the situation requires.
• Systematization: it pertains to the attempt to find all the relevant data or collecting data in a systematic and organized way so that the conclusions drawn are reliable. Data based on casual recollections are generally incomplete and give unreliable judgments and conclusions.
• Objectivity: it means being free from all biases and vested interests. It means, observation is unaffected by the observer’s values, beliefs and preferences to the extent possible and he is able to see and accept facts as they are, not as he might wish them to be.  The researcher remains detached from his emotions, prejudices and needs, and guards his biases.
• Recording: It is jotting down complete details as quickly as possible. Since human memory is fallible, all data collected are recorded.  Researcher will not depend on the recalled facts but will analyse the problem on the basis of the recorded data.  Conclusions based on recalled unrecorded data are not trust worthy.
• Controlling conditions: This is the basic technique in all scientific experimentation-allowing one variable to vary while holding all other variables constant. Unless all variables except one have been controlled, we cannot be sure which variable has produced the results.  Though a physical scientist is able to control as many variables as he wishes in an experiment he conducts in the laboratory but a social scientist cannot control all variables as he wishes.  He functions under many constraints.

• Training investigators: Imparting necessary knowledge to investigators to make them understand what to look for, how to interpret it and avoid inaccurate data collection.  When some remarkable observations are reported, the scientist first tries to know what is the observer’s level of education, training and sophistication. 

Other characteristics  

• Replicability: Scientific method should be replicable, meaning that other researchers should be able to repeat the same experiment and obtain similar results.
• Falsifiability: Scientific method should be falsifiable, meaning that it is possible to disprove a hypothesis through observation or experimentation.

Suitability of scientific method in studying social reality as propounded by Positivists:

• Positivists argue that this method is suitable for studying society because it allows for the discovery of objective, generalizable laws governing social behaviour.
• This viewpoint contends that, like the natural sciences, sociology can uncover regularities in social life and make predictions based on empirical evidence.
• Positivism is a philosophy that adheres to the view that only factual knowledge gained through observation, including measurement, is trustworthy.
• In positivist studies, the role of the researcher is limited to data collection and interpretation in an objective way, and research findings are usually observable and quantifiable.
• Positivist researchers tend to use highly structured research methodology in order to allow the replication of the same study in the future.

However, critics argue that scientific methods are not full proof:

• Max Weber argued that the subject matter of sociology – human beings are qualitatively different from the material world. Social actions are governed by meanings and motives which are subjective in nature. Therefore, these can’t be quantified or generalised completely.
• Ethnomethodology and Symbolic Interactionist criticise scientific methods for neglecting human subjectivity. They argue that human subjectivity forms institutions and brings change in them.
• Problem of objectivity: Human beings as social actors grow up in society and develop their liking or dislike. It influences their judgement.

Eg. A women sociologist studying adjustment issues faced by a new bride in the home of husband. Her own experience is bound to influence the judgement.

• Problem of Experimentation: Experimentation is crucial in scientific observation to establish precise relationships between different variables.  However, experimentation is only rarely possible in Sociology.  The limitations are both practical and ethical.  It is practically not possible to control human behaviour in a laboratory like situation and it is even ethnically undesirable to treat humans like guinea and pigs.

• Ethical Concerns: Some sociological research questions may raise ethical dilemmas, making it difficult to apply the scientific method without violating ethical principles.

• Problem of Quantification: Although some aspects of sociological phenomena can be quantified using statistical methods.  But, a large part of it is essentially qualitative in nature and hence is not amendable to quantitative techniques.  Even, the attempts of Neo-positivist to apply quantitative techniques to sociological phenomena have met with little success.

• Problem of Generalization: Sociologists have not being successful in arriving at law-like generalizations through their studies. The reason for this failure lies in the very nature of the subject matter of Sociology.Human behaviour does not follow recurrent patterns like physical objects. At best sociologists can establish statistical correlations.  The generalizations which sociologist make are often in the nature of statements, representing trends of tendency statements.

While the scientific method offers valuable tools for conducting sociological research, it is not fool proof.  While scientific method has its limitations, it remains an important tool for research in sociology and other fields. The role of sociology is to understand and solve social issues, going beyond the debate of the suitability of scientific methods. Therefore, researchers should use a range of methods, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches, to gain a comprehensive understanding of social phenomena.