Terminology

• Method of Acquiring Knowledge

  Ways in which an individual can know or discover answers to questions.
• Method of Tenacity

  Information is accepted as true because it has always been believed or because superstition supports it.
• Method of Intuition

  Information is accepted on the basis of a hunch or a "gut feeling."
• Method of Authority

  When an individual relies on information or answers from expert in the subject area.
• Method of Faith

  A variant of the method of authority, in which individuals have unquestioning trust in the authority figure, and, therefore, accept information from the authority without doubt or challenge.
• The Rational Method

  Seeks answers by the us of logical reasoning. This includes the use of premise statements and arguments.
• Premise Statements

  In logical reasoning, describes facts or assumptions that are presumed to be true.
• Argument

  In logical reasoning, a set of premise statements that are logically combined to yield a conclusion.
• The Empirical Method

  Uses observation or direct sensory experience to obtain knowledge.