subject: Scientific Method [print this page] Introduction to scientific method explanation
There are many ways of discovering new facts about nature. The methodologies adopted by science researchers to establish facts, rules, laws and principles about various phenomena are called Scientific methods. These scientific methods intend to remove personal and cultural biases by focusing on objective testing procedures. These are the specific scientific methods for arriving at inferences.
Steps of Scientific Method
Various steps of scientific methods are:
Observation: Most of the scientific enquiries begin with the observation of the natural phenomenon or situation. It is done often direct by human sense of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing but certain phenomena cannot be observed directly, e.g. working of enzymes, membrane transport etc. Thus, observation here is of indirect type. Various instruments have augmented the power of observation. Observation must be critical.
Identification of problem: An observation brings forth several questions- how, what and why. The selected problem must have a narrow range and limited aim.
Survey of Scientific literature: Soon after the selection of problem, the scientific literature is surveyed in order to find out what other workers have done in that field. The results of the early workers can save the investigators time.
Making Hypothesis: On the basis of past scientific literature the investigator makes hypotheses. They are often called educated guesses or reasoned explanations since they are made on the basis of previous knowledge. Out of so many hypotheses, the one most probable is picked up. It is called working hypothesis because it forms basis for further work. It is clearly defined and consists of one or a group of interconnected statements.
Testing or Experimentation: The worker devises experiments to test the working hypothesis. Based on the results of experiments the hypothesis is confirmed
Developing Theory: If the experiment supports the hypothesis, the latter is changed to a theory. Theory is a generalization which is supported by experiment with repeatable results and is capable of making valid predictions. Theory differs from hypothesis in that it has a predictable value. It can foretell the result under a certain set of conditions. E.g., cell theory
Communicating and Publication of results: Every finding in science should be published because it spreads the knowledge world-wide.
Principle or law: It is that generalization or statement of thoroughly tested facts about a scientific phenomenon which is universally reliable in its predictability. E.g., Mendels Law of Inheritance.
