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nomenclature
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Key People:
Elman Rogers Service •
Carolus Linnaeus •
Pedanius
Dioscorides •
Michel Adanson •
Johann Bayer

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hapto
nomenclature •
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nomenclature, in biological classification, system of naming organisms. The species to

which the organism belongs is indicated by two words, the genus and species names,
which are Latinized words derived from various sources. This system, which is called the
Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature, was established in the 1750s by Carolus
Linnaeus. Subsequent to the work of Linnaeus, a proliferation of binomial names took
place as new species were established and higher taxonomic categories were formed, with
the result that by the late 19th century there was much confusion in the nomenclature of
many groups of organisms. In the 20th century, the establishment of rules by
international committees in the fields of zoology, botany, bacteriology, and virology has
done much to clarify the situation.

Contrary to the widely held view that scientific names, once assigned, are fixed and
universal in their use, continuing research on the relationships of organisms and probing
into the history of names, coupled with disagreements among scientists on the validity of
certain names, results in multiple names being applied to some well-known species. The
international rules, however, are gradually bringing stability to the taxonomy of many
groups through the minimizing of name changes, the use of standard methods of
establishing new names, and the functioning of respected committees to arbitrate
controversies.
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taxonomy: The Linnaean system
…of modern botanical and zoological nomenclature, drew up rules for assigning names
to plants and animals and was the first...

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taxonomy: The Linnaean system

…of modern botanical and zoological nomenclature, drew up rules for assigning
names to plants and animals and was the first to use binomial nomenclature
consistently (1758). Although he introduced the standard hierarchy of class, order,…

coordination compound: Nomenclature

Generally, the systematic naming of coordination compounds is carried out by rules

recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).
Among the more important of these are the following:…

carboxylic acid: Nomenclature of carboxylic acids and their salts

The IUPAC name of a carboxylic acid is derived from that of the longest carbon
chain that contains the carboxyl group by dropping the final -e from the name of
the parent alkane and adding the suffix -oic…

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toc Home keyboard_arrow_right Science ✕

scientific method
Alternate titles: analytical method

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Last Updated: Oct 15, 2021
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Key People:
Karl Popper •
R.B.
Braithwaite •
Ernest Nagel

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scientific method, mathematical and experimental technique employed in the sciences.

More specifically, it is the technique used in the construction and testing of a scientific
hypothesis.

The process of observing, asking questions, and seeking answers through tests and
experiments is not unique to any one field of science. In fact, the scientific method is
applied broadly in science, across many different fields. Many empirical sciences,
especially the social sciences, use mathematical tools borrowed from probability theory
and statistics, together with outgrowths of these, such as decision theory, game theory,
utility theory, and operations research. Philosophers of science have addressed general
methodological problems, such as the nature of scientific explanation and the justification
of induction.

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history of science: The diffusion of scientific method
The publication of the Principia marks the culmination of the movement begun by
Copernicus and, as such, has always stood as the...

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 How to use the scientific method

Learn about how to use the scientific method.

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The scientific method is critical to the development of scientific theories, which explain
empirical (experiential) laws in a scientifically rational manner. In a typical application of
the scientific method, a researcher develops a hypothesis, tests it through various means,
and then modifies the hypothesis on the basis of the outcome of the tests and experiments.
The modified hypothesis is then retested, further modified, and tested again, until it
becomes consistent with observed phenomena and testing outcomes. In this way,
hypotheses serve as tools by which scientists gather data. From that data and the many
different scientific investigations undertaken to explore hypotheses, scientists are able to
develop broad general explanations, or scientific theories.

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scientific method and examples of independent and dependent variables

The variable deliberately changed in an experiment is known as the independent variable. The dependent
variable is the variable that may change as a result of changes in the independent variable. In most
experiments, one variable is independent, one is dependent, and all others are controlled.
Image: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

See also Mill’s methods; hypothetico-deductive method.

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen, Senior Editor.

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history of science: The diffusion of scientific method

The publication of the Principia marks the culmination of the movement begun by
Copernicus and, as such, has always stood as the symbol of the scientific revolution.
There were, however, similar attempts to criticize, systematize, and organize natur…

history of Europe: The role of science and mathematics

He called for a new science, to be based on organized and collaborative

experiment with a systematic recording of results. General laws could be established
only when research had produced enough data and then by inductive reasoning,…

education: Influence of psychology and other fields on education

The attempt to apply scientific method to the study of education dates back to
the German philosopher Johann Friedrich Herbart, who called for the application of
psychology to the art of teaching. But not until the end of the 19th century, when…

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