ABSTRACT
The progress of scientific research involves a recursive process in which two logically distinct phases can be identified. One phase is concerned with formulating or revising the disciplinary conceptual frameworks that define (a) issues and phenomena to be studied, (b) what constitutes pertinent information and data, (c) the procedures through which information and data are obtained, and finally (d) the ‘important’ relations among phenomena that are singled out for investigation. The second phase of the process is concerned with modeling. It involves constructing alternative mathematical models, assessing their consistency with empirical data, estimating their parameters, and extracting their quantitative and qualitative implications.
