STEPS IN A SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION

Identifying a problem.
(Determining ‘what I want to find out’)

Making a smart guess

(Making a hypothesis. Hypothesis – a smart guess to
explain a problem and must be tested experimentally)

Planning how to test the hypothesis

(Planning the procedure, apparatus and materials for the
experiment)

Changing the conditions of the investigation

(Controlling variables; manipulated variables, responding
variable and constant variables )

Recording the result that has been observed

(Collecting data – data are collected in the form of tables,
graph or diagram)

Analyzing and interpreting the data. (The relationship

between the manipulated variable and responding variable
is identified and inferences are made.)

Making a conclusion .(If the result supports the hypothesis,

then the hypothesis is accepted. Otherwise, the hypothesis is
rejected)

Writing a report. (A report contains the aims, materials,

apparatus,variables, procedure, results, interpretation of the
collected data and the conclusion)