What Is Scientific Method of Research?
The scientific method is the essential process through which scientific inquiry is governed. Through it, knowledge is accrued, theories formulated, hypotheses tested and results applied. It is broadly comprised of five major steps: questioning, researching, hypothesizing, testing and analysis.
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Question
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The scientific method begins with the asking of a question. For the method to work properly, the question must be about something that is measurable, preferably by numbers. Scientists tend to think in terms of observable variables they can measure or control, such as speed, dimension or quantity.
Research
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Having arrived at a question that needs answering, the next step is to undertake background research. By making use of existing studies, a scientist develops a broader understanding of the issue at hand and safeguards against reinventing the wheel. Proper research assists in shaping the matter in question and leads to the formulation of a hypothesis.
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Hypothesis
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Hypothesis is defined as "a proposition assumed as a premise in an argument." Early scientists, having wondered at the rate of growth of identical plants in different locations, might have hypothesized: "Plant growth is affected by exposure to light." A famous example of a hypothesis is that of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who, in the 17th century, hypothesized that the Earth revolved around the Sun and not the other way around. This was called the "heliocentric" view of the universe, a hypothesis Galileo inherited from Copernicus.
Test
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The next step is to design a test of your hypothesis. According to the Scientific Method, this must be a test that can be duplicated by others. A common way to go about testing a hypothesis is to isolate a variable, that is, if the hypothesis is that plant growth is affected by light, make light a controlled variable by keeping one sample in the dark while the other is kept in a well-lit room. Alternatively, if the hypothesis is that water has nothing to do with plant growth, isolate the variable by keeping water from one plant and not the other.
Analysis
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Once the test has run its course, the final step of the Scientific Method is analysis. The results are compared to the hypothesis and a conclusion is drawn about whether the hypothesis was true or false. Oftentimes, a hypothesis proved false will result in another round of the scientific method, in which a new but related question is asked, the hypothesis adjusted, and the isolated variable different. In this way, through repeated questioning, researching, hypothesizing, testing and analyzing, a body of knowledge is gradually improved and augmented.
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