The Myth of the Scientific Method Approaching_1

When you think of a scientist, what do you imagine? Is it a person who works in a lab? Maybe they wear a white lab coat. Perhaps they even wear safety glasses. Many people hold the stereotype that all scientists are old, dressed all in white. This stereotype is far from correct. Scientists come from all backgrounds and races. This type of mistaken belief is also present when people discuss what scientists do.

While Science is about exploring, we must also learn the correct scientific language. The language helps us to be exact when speaking with others. Also, knowing the correct scientific language will help us learn how Science REALLY operates. First, there are a couple of key terms to learn. Investigation and experiment are two terms used often. They may sound similar, but they have unique meanings.

First, let us get rid of a common misconception about Science. When people think of Science, they often only think of the Scientific Method.

1. Ask a question
2. Formulate a hypothesis
3. Perform an experiment
4. Collect data
5. Draw a conclusion  

The “scientific method” as it is often called is not quite correct. There is not one single scientific method. There is not a single set of rigid steps. Scientists may do many other activities. They may do these procedures in a different order. Scientists may also repeat the same steps over and over. In short, Science does not always follow the steps in the scientific method. Instead, it may be better to say The Methods of Science.

There are other ways of doing Science. Doing an experiment is not the only way to do Science. Science is about testing ideas and gathering evidence. There are two ways to collect evidence in Science. One is through an experiment and the other is an investigation.

Experiments require a prediction. The prediction serves as a rule to be tested. A prediction is called a hypothesis. Experiments take place under controlled conditions. An experiment changes one variable at a time. This is done to see how one variable affects another.