Inductive reasoning specific to general – UGC NET Question

Inductive reasoning involves collecting specific observations or empirical findings and then inferring broader patterns, regularities or theoretical propositions from them. It is central to exploratory and qualitative research, where theory often emerges from the data rather than being imposed beforehand. While inductive conclusions are not logically certain, they can be strongly supported by the weight of evidence. Therefore, the specific-to-general logic described in the stem is accurately termed inductive reasoning.

Option A:
Hypothetico-deductive reasoning combines elements of deduction and induction by formulating hypotheses from theory and then testing them, but its core movement is from general hypotheses to specific predictions. It does not start primarily from specific observations, so it is not the best completion.

Option B:
Deductive reasoning proceeds from general principles to specific conclusions and is typically used to derive hypotheses from theory for testing. This is the reverse direction from what the stem describes, so deductive reasoning is not correct here.

Option C:
Inductive reasoning often involves iterative comparison of new observations with emerging categories, leading to increasingly refined concepts and theoretical explanations. This approach is widely used in grounded theory and other qualitative methodologies, aligning closely with the description in the question.

Option D:
Intuitive reasoning relies on immediate insight or “gut feeling” rather than on systematic accumulation and analysis of specific observations. Although intuition may play a role in research creativity, it does not describe the systematic logical process outlined in the stem, so intuitive reasoning is not appropriate.