Social Sciences in China Review

No.1, 2018

The “Problem Space” of Social Science Research and Its Construction (Abstract)

Jing Huaibin

There are substantive differences between “nature” and “society.” The criteria for measuring social science results should be profound and transparent. For social science research to reach these standards, the construction of problem under discussion is decisive. The concept “problem space,” refers to the researcher’s thinking based on academic intention about the task, content and variables, methods of the issue, etc. It is intersection in nature between society and humanities, practical and academic, objective and subjective, etc. The construction of “problem space” is an interactive and cyclical process around the function—factor—structure of research tasks and questions. It should be problem-centered and based on academic thinking, take “time, environment and people” into consideration, and follow the principles of theoretical and disciplinary reflection, “researchers themselves should be studied first,” and so on.