Why Is The Scienti c Method Important ?

TOPICS: Empiricism Make A Difference Science Scienti c Discoveries Scienti c Method

POSTED BY: IAIN JUNE 6, 2014

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 Before we can answer the question ‘why is the scientific method important’ we need to consider for
whom it is important. In previous posts we’ve looked at who arguably invented the method and who
subsequently developed it. Clearly for philosophers and scientists the method is vital and we shall
explore why here. However, most of us are neither philosophers nor scientists, so why is the scientific
method important for us?

The scientific method is arguably the most important element of science. Without it science itself would
be practically meaningless. Science is defined as:

“the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and
behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.”

It is the scientific method that enables us to systematically and precisely study the structure and nature
of things. It enables us to do so through the following process:

1. Define a question

2. Gather information and resources (observe)

3. Form an explanatory hypothesis

4. Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data in a reproducible manner.

5. Analyze the data

6. Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting point for new hypothesis (also
called a theory.)

7. Publish results

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 8. Retest and attempt to disprove the theory.

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Science has shaped our world unlike any other discipline. Almost everything we use on a daily basis
has come into being as a result of science. From toasters to magnetic resonance imaging, science
underpins the advent and development of technology. But more than that science explains why things
happen the way they do. It can explain why coastal erosion occurs, help us to predict the weather or
design fabrics that protect us against it.

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 However, perhaps most importantly, science helps us understand the universe we live in and provides
the tools of reasoning and logic that are the apparent difference between ourselves and all other known
lifeforms.

Ultimately the scientific method enables us to get closer to the truth. We can call it truth because we
can provide evidence, tested through experimentation, that proves whether or not a theory can be
considered true or false. This is called the ‘scientific paradigm’ and it gives us the best insight into how
the universe really is. However science is certainly not infallible and no self respecting scientist would
ever claim it to be. Indeed once a theory is published science is then used rigorously to try to disprove
rather than support it. The point is that by trying to disprove a theory and failing to do so, the more likely
it is that the theory is indeed correct.

The scientific method has evolved to try and make scientific research as objective as possible. No
matter how objective a research scientist may try to be, like the rest of us, they are a product of their
environment, their age, culture and so on. Their perception is bound to be susceptible to this kind of
“bias.” The scientific method is a self regulating process that tends to remove this bias far more than
other approaches. This is essential for establishing objectivity and, thereby, greater validity.

So why is the scientific method important to scientists? Because it provides a universal objective
process that allows theories to be evaluated in light of the evidence and either verified or rejected. The
scientists can get closer to the truth.

But why is the scientific method important to the rest of us?

Well aside from the fact that science itself has great value to pretty much every single one of us, the
scientific method can also greatly inform how we approach problem solving. It enables us to have a
better grasp of logic & reason and aids critical thinking. Now some of you may think you don’t ever
use the scientific method but I’m willing to bet you do.

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 Let’s assume you like cooking curry. You’ve got a favourite recipe that experience tells you your family
like. However one day your partner tells you that they think it’s a bit bland. Suddenly you have a
problem with the recipe. So you think you’ll try adding a bit more paprika. Now neither your partner nor
your mum like it. So you go back to the original recipe and add a bit more chilli instead. Now everyone
likes it. Your a success and don’t have to do the washing up.

So what you’ve done is recognise a problem, gather information on it, form an idea, experiment,
analyse the results, retest and come to a conclusion which you’ve shared. Next time your partner cooks
he or she can use the new recipe. And that is the scientific method (pretty much.)

This kind of critical thinking and problem solving is so inate to us now that we are rarely aware of doing
it. However we are able to reason and use logic in this way precisely because we use the scientific
method.

So why is the scientific method important? Because it enables us to solve problems and get closer to
the truth.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Iain
I'm an author, journalist, blogger and video maker (contributing to 21stCenturyWire,
UKColumn, the OffGuardian and other leading news sites,) I am able to leap small footstools
in a single bound, haven't been kicked out lately and am occasionally reliable. I really enjoy
a jolly good rant. Though many have expressed their wish that I didn't.

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