The Methods of Deduction and Induction in Social-scientific Methodology

Abstract

The paper compares the notions of ‘deduction' and ‘induction' as used in social-scientific methodology with the ones used in modern logic. Several guides in the methodology of social research take the antiquated view of deduction as proceeding ‘from the general to the particular' and of induction as proceeding ‘from the particular to the general'. In some cases, the methods are also misunderstood as methods of theory construction (rather than methods of inference), or they are mapped onto the quantitative - qualitative divide. The paper points out some of the problems resulting from this approach and proposes some simple solutions.