Knowledge is arrived at through the gathering of facts that provide the basis…

Concept

Inductive reasoning moves from particular observations to broader generalisations. When recurring patterns are found in collected facts, researchers formulate general principles or laws.

Deductive reasoning moves in the opposite direction: it begins with a general theory or law and derives specific hypotheses or predictions.

Application

The statement begins with the gathering of facts and says that those facts provide the basis for laws. Its direction is therefore from observations to a general law, which is the inductive pattern.

Contrast

• Deductivism begins with a general theory or law and derives specific consequences for testing.

• Constructionism treats knowledge or social reality as constructed through interaction and interpretation.

• Objectivism treats social phenomena as existing independently of the observers who study them.

• Inductivism begins with particular observations and develops broader generalisations or laws from recurring patterns.

Result

Therefore, the principle described is Inductivism.