IRM1501
Portfolio
May/June 2022
Semester 1 – 2022
, QUESTION 1
Scientific research can be understood to mean a systematic investigation of scientific
theories and certain propositions.
1. The first view is that science is always facts based.
2. The second view is that science is logical and objective.
3. The third is that science is informed by the desire to provide certainty.
4. The fourth view on science is that the answers provided by science or
through a scientific inquiry or investigation are always precise and
measureable.
This process must be logical and rational. It involves an investigation or
examination of facts in order to acquire new knowledge or to expand or develop
existing knowledge. Scientific research makes use of scientific methods and
techniques in order to study a particular phenomenon in a manner that seeks to
acquire new knowledge, or to improve on and/or incorporate existing knowledge.1
QUESTION 2
In law, research is usually document based. By this we mean that the research
usually involves reading, analysing and comparing various documents and
other sources of law. Your research will therefore be mostly about finding the
sources of law, reading, analysing and evaluating them and then synthesising your
findings into one coherent report.
Document-based research is also referred to as the qualitative method of research
or quantitative research. It has to do with the reviewing of sources that are mostly
sourced from or found in the library, e.g. law reports, legislation, textbooks, law
journals, and so forth. Researchers assess the available literature in an attempt
to find the required answer or what has been written on a specific subject.
Researchers do all this in order to “study things in their natural setting, attempting to
make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to
1 Swanepoel M and Mbeka N Introduction to Research Methodology: Only study guide for
IRM1501 (UNISA, Pretoria 2018) [4].
Portfolio
May/June 2022
Semester 1 – 2022
, QUESTION 1
Scientific research can be understood to mean a systematic investigation of scientific
theories and certain propositions.
1. The first view is that science is always facts based.
2. The second view is that science is logical and objective.
3. The third is that science is informed by the desire to provide certainty.
4. The fourth view on science is that the answers provided by science or
through a scientific inquiry or investigation are always precise and
measureable.
This process must be logical and rational. It involves an investigation or
examination of facts in order to acquire new knowledge or to expand or develop
existing knowledge. Scientific research makes use of scientific methods and
techniques in order to study a particular phenomenon in a manner that seeks to
acquire new knowledge, or to improve on and/or incorporate existing knowledge.1
QUESTION 2
In law, research is usually document based. By this we mean that the research
usually involves reading, analysing and comparing various documents and
other sources of law. Your research will therefore be mostly about finding the
sources of law, reading, analysing and evaluating them and then synthesising your
findings into one coherent report.
Document-based research is also referred to as the qualitative method of research
or quantitative research. It has to do with the reviewing of sources that are mostly
sourced from or found in the library, e.g. law reports, legislation, textbooks, law
journals, and so forth. Researchers assess the available literature in an attempt
to find the required answer or what has been written on a specific subject.
Researchers do all this in order to “study things in their natural setting, attempting to
make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings people bring to
1 Swanepoel M and Mbeka N Introduction to Research Methodology: Only study guide for
IRM1501 (UNISA, Pretoria 2018) [4].
