Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Scientists use the scientific method to search for cause and effect relationships in nature. In other words, they design an experiment so that changes to one item cause something else to vary in a predictable way. The purpose step in the scientific method is just a restatement of what you want accomplished. What do you want to find out? What is your goal? You should write just one sentence for your purpose.

The steps of the scientific method are state the problem, gather information, form hypothesis, test hypothesis, analyze the data, and state the conclusion. The scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge.

Reliable knowledge is knowledge that has a high probability of being true because its veracity has been justified by a reliable method. Scientist uses the steps of the scientific method to gain new knowledge every day. The experiment has to sometimes be repeated to get the knowledge they are trying to understand. They go thru each step individually and tests experiments to see will they work or fail. If they fail, the experiment has to be repeated with a new hypothesis. It is a process because the scientist will not know if work is unless it is tested.

References

http://misterguch.brinkster.net/scientificmethod.html

http://www.scientificmethod.com/sm3_whatissm.html

http://www.geo.sunysb.edu/esp/files/scientific-method.html

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml#overviewofthescientificmethod