The social sciences are a field that encompasses a large number of disciplines, including criminal justice. Research can be performed using a variety of methodological approaches “including: surveys and questionnaires, interviews, randomized clinical trials, direct observation, physiological manipulations and recordings, descriptive methods, laboratory and field experiments, standardized tests, economic analyses, modeling statistics, ethnography, and evaluation” (Definition of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSSR), 2010). Furthermore, social science research is theory-driven and focuses on social components. Furthermore, the focus extends to behavioral elements that can be found in a social and biological context (Definition of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSSR), 2010). Overall, there is an emphasis on social, cultural or behavioral aspects. Social sciences and science are two different fields of study. In some ways comparisons can be made, but the topic being studied is very different. Science is strongly based on rationality and logical explanation. Science involves empiricism and experimentation, which are more generally referred to as the scientific method (Hagan, 2010). The scientific method is used to determine relationships between different variables and to discover certain causes. Theories are tested using this method using measurable and detectable evidence. The scientific method can be applied in social science research but its use is limited. The steps involved in the scientific method revolve around “the collection of data, through observation and research, the formulation of hypotheses, verification by experiment, replication of evidence to ensure consistent results, and the avoidance of personal biases and… half of document ......eved from NIH: Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research: http://obssr.od.nih.gov/about_obssr/BSSR_CC/BSSR_definition/definition.aspxColosi, L.A. (1997). Glossary of terms: correlation. Retrieved from http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/tutorial/Colosi/lcolosi4.htmDrislane, R. & Parkinson, G. (2010). Scientific method. Retrieved from the Online Dictionary of the Social Sciences: http://bitbucket.icaap.org/dict.pl?alpha=SFerderer, P. (2005). Correlation and causality. Retrieved from http://www.macalester.edu/qm4pp/math%20108/presentations/spring%202005/ferderercausation.pdfHagan, F. E. (2010). Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology, 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. What is the difference between causation and correlation? . (2008). Retrieved from STATS.org: http://stats.org/in_length/faq/causation_correlation.htm