scientific process and reasoning

Month-by-month, Questions No Responses »

May 102015

My brain is ‘hurting’ today. So I’m chilling out by making my first bread in my newish oven (in my newish London flat). As I don’t have any measuring jugs or machine, I have to somehow convert all measurements i.e. in ml, g, kg into ‘cup’. In the past, I will have rushed out to buy the necessary tools (tools are in my house in Staines) to make sure I get a near perfect bread. Well… now I’m more ‘mellowed’, and just happy to make do with whatever I have…The result will be in couple of hours time when I put the dough to the test.

Now, why my brain is ‘hurting’? I suspect it’s because I watched TV till late last night (Robin Hood!) instead of reading and writing my transfer thesis. I said ‘hurting’ as I even forgot to turn off my kitchen tap – left it running for how long, I don’t remember?!

Mmm..am I ‘mellowed’ as well in doing my research process and reasoning?

I have read a bit about the so called scientific reasoning i.e. deductive, inductive and abductive reasoning. I guess the scientific process is linked to the reasoning. I said ‘I guess’ because I don’t know if there’s a standard or recognised method/approach for measurement or assessment of ‘scientific process(es). What constitute ‘scientific process’?

Perhaps I ought to frame my question as; What constitute research process?

Time to test my dough…

more of the same

Extracts, Questions No Responses »

Jul 062014

Problems are created and maintained through the mishandling of difficulties.

Difficulties mean an undesirable state of affairs which either can be resolved through some common-sense action (usually the first-order change type)for which no special problem solving skills are necessary. More frequently an undesirable but usually quite common life situation for which there exists no known solution and which – at least for the time being – must simply be lived with.

Problems when referring to impasses, deadlocks, knots etc, which are created and maintained through the mishandling of difficulties.

There are basically three ways in which this mishandling can occur;
A) A solution is attempted by denying that a problem is a problem; action is necessary, but is not taken

B) Change is attempted regarding a difficulty which for all practical purposes is either unchangeable or nonexistent; action is taken when it should not be

C) An error in logical typing is committed and a Game Without End established. This may occure either by attempting a first-order change in a situation which can be changed only from the next higher logical level, or conversely, by attempting second-order change when a first-order change would be appropriate (e.g. when people demand changes of ‘attitude’ and are not content with changes of behaviour); action is taken at the wrong level

Taken from the book: Change principles of Problem Formation and Problem Resolution by Paul Watzlawick et al. Chapter 3 “More of the same” or, when the solution becomes the problem.

Which type of mishandling would closely describe the Target breach case?

One account of the Target case is described in this article

Extract 2

Extracts, Questions No Responses »

Dec 212013

It’s a wet and windy day today, a day for staying in.

Will aim to finish reading online the book ‘The craft of research’ as mentioned in Extract 1.

Here’s 2nd extract :-

Regularly test your progress by asking a roommate, relative, or friend to force you to flesh out those three steps. Even if you can’t take them all confidently, you’ll know where you are and where you still have to go.
To summarize: Your aim is to explain
1. what you are writing about— I am working on the topic of . . .
2. what you don’t know about it— because I want to find out . . .
3. why you want your reader to know and care about it— in order to help my reader understand better . . .

Extract 1

Extracts, Questions No Responses »

Dec 202013

Moving from ‘timelessness’ to getting on with my research activities…

I call this post ‘Extract 1′ as I will post snippet of extracts from books/journals that I want reminding on. Please note that these extracts are for educational research purposes only, and in full compliance with all manner of intellectual property rights. I have no intention to violate any such rules or regulations.

First extract is from ‘The craft of research’ by Booth, Wayne C. (Wayne Clayson); Colomb, Gregory G; Williams, Joseph M, 2008 (online book) :-

Resolve to do lots of writing along the way. Much of it will be
routine note taking, … explain why you disagree with a source; draw diagrams to connect disparate facts; summarize sources, positions,..; record even random thoughts. You might not include much of this writing-to-discover-and-understand in your final draft. But when you write as you go,every day, you encourage your own best critical thinking, understand your sources better, and, when the time comes, draft more productively.

So I resolve to write (whenever!) as ‘writing is thinking’.
Mmm… I tend to doodle more, so will also doodle along the way.

On timelessness

Questions No Responses »

Dec 202013

I was at the ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) London chapter event yesterday evening. It was my first attendance and most likely my last too. Nothing wrong with their events and activities. Folks there seem friendly and chatting. There are tons of information on ISACA site.

What took me there was the topic ‘Locking Down the Cloud, and Change…as a constant in today’s world. The ISACA vision’. The speakers were lively but I still managed to dose off towards the 2nd half of the seminar. Must be the wine! So..I didn’t get to ‘hear’ what ‘Change…as a constant in today’s world’..

This morning my head is spinning and looks like another day of no literature review reading. Off to London again this evening to see ‘The Commitments’ (my daughters’ pick!) with my girls as it’s my eldest daughter’s birthday tomorrow, yup! a special mid-winter day.

For sure, same time next year I won’t be sitting here blogging about this same theme of the day ‘On timelessness’ and/or my whereabout. Is my prior statement a result of a ‘change as a constant’ thinking ?

I rather not view ‘change as a constant’ instead look for ‘timelessness’. Timelessness as in timeless movies, books, buildings and recipes etc.. Timelessness in that it stood the test of time in quality/value/tastefulness/usage or just plain untested/unbeaten/uncontested since it’s existence.

Do we have the same concept of timelessness for a piece of software or hardware or code or process?
Well..can we say COBIT (now version 5) is timeless?

If I’m invited to give a talk (was invited to talk at BCS IRMA for February 2014 but turned it down!) timelessness sounds interesting to explore.