Social Science
Inquiry Model
An investigation that follows a formal
procedure
Identify a Problem or Question
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The problem provides a reason for
the inquiry and indicates a plan of
action
i.e. “do students who own or have
regular access to a car have lower
grades in school?”
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Why is there so much garbage in the
school? (not related to human behaviour)
Why do students throw their garbage on
the floor instead of the bins? (Better, but
still too open to get clear results.)
Would student be more likely to throw their
garbage in the bins if there were more bins
available? (Would lead to clear answers.)
Develop a Hypothesis
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The possible answer to the question and a
starting point for further investigation
A hypothesis indicates what needs to be
tested and which research method to use
i.e. “owning or having regular access to a
car has a negative effect on school grades”
NOTE: a hypothesis is neither right nor
wrong; it can be PROVEN right or wrong
Gather Data
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Researchers must decided
how to gather information
to test hypothesis
i.e. researcher conducts a
survey to find out how
many teens own or borrow
cars and what their grades
are
Analyze the Data
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Data must be organized,
analyzed and interpreted
i.e. a graph which shows
relationship between
access to a car and
school grades (see
trends, patterns)
Draw Conclusions
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Decision as to whether hypothesis should
be confirmed, changed or rejected
Is there a relationship between car access
and grades?