Naming the Inquiry-PH2 Fundamentals

Background

In 1985, I published my initial account of the Primary Hierarchy-PH2, but there have been a number of taxonomic changes since those early days. The revised formulations are now presented in the Frameworks Room.

Here is the current formulation of the PH2-Primary Hierarchy showing provisional verbs:

L PH2: Inquiry
7 Channel Wonder
6 Justify Judgements
5 Construct Relations
4 Agree Measurements
3 Arrange Comparisons
2 Define Concepts
1 Collect Data

The Two Trees

These Trees have been provisionally developed as shown here, but are not yet posted or published with explanations.

Click on thumbnails to see provisional Tree Centres and Channels.

PH2K

The name originally used for the Tree activity was Scientific Analysis. Focusing on the lower 4 Levels suggests that these are analytic tools. Using them is a concrete matter.

The upper 3 Levels are about the research process. The Relation-L5 that is constructed is a conjectural shaping of reality, the Judgement-L6 that is justified is the heart of the matter, the Wonder-L7 that is released and channeled prevents undue rigidity. While none of this seems specifically or necessarily 'scientific', there is an expectation of careful thought and rigorous discipline. (The 'scientific' label depends on proper use of the Research Methods in making judgements.)

This suggests that Requirements for a «Rigorous Analysis» could be a reasonable name, one that captures its function. (Of course, in practice, an analysis may not be deemed sufficiently rigorous—but that is precisely what the Tree can help determine.)

PsH2K

The Structural Hierarchy-PsH2 is named Making Discoveries, and contains 28 components used by scientific researchers. As usual, all of PH2K occurs in every Grouping.

The Structural Hierarchy Tree (PsH2K) reveals that:

  • the Centres and Channels in the G1-G4 Content section model the research processes.
  • the Centres and Channels in the G5-G7 Context section provide the potential for a genuine scientific discovery.

This suggests that Requirements for a «Scientific Study» could be a reasonable name, i.e. one that captures its function. However, there may be other possibilities.

Note that this terminology allows for rigorous but non-scientific non-scholarly investigations e.g. market research, fact-finding surveys. Such inquiry only uses the lower 4 Centres.

Combination

Considering these two Trees together, it seems evident that a Scientific Study (PsH2K) is the field within which Rigorous Analyses (PH2K) take place. The desired effect is to Make Discoveries (PsH2), which depends on many component factors.

  A Rigorous Analysis   A Scientific Study
Internal
Duality
Primal Vehicle
PH2K
Primal Effect
PsH2
Primal Field PsH2K
Context
L7-L5
Research
Processes
Making
Discoveries

28 Components
Scientific
Potentials
Content
L4-L1
Analytic
Tools
Research
Processes

Originally posted: 15-Feb-2015. Last amended:  4-Sep-2016. Reviewed 12-Jan-2023.