The Practice of Science

Common Types of Scientific Investigations

CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT - A controlled experiment tests how one variable affects another. Factors that may change that could affect the result are called VARIABLES. The investigator must select one variable to test, or to change on purpose. This is the INDEPENDENT VARIABLE. Then, the investigator must select one variable to observe or measure to see if/how the controlled variable causes it to change. This is the DEPENDENT VARIABLE, sometimes called the outcome variable. All other variables must be kept the same, or held constant. These are called CONTROLLED VARIABLES or CONSTANTS.

SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION - A systematic observation seeks to determine relationships between various factors by observing the interactions between them. An investigator will determine a set of rules or procedures to govern their observation to eliminate BIAS (when the investigator either knowingly or unknowingly influences the results). Based on those rules or procedures, the investigator will use his/her five senses to make OBSERVATIONS about how multiple variables interact in order to produce inferences. An INFERENCE is an interpretation of an observation.

Scientific Methods

There isn't one set list of procedures/steps that scientists follow every time when they are investigating. Instead, there are certain practices that are common among scientific investigations that may not always look the same or occur in the same order:

QUESTION - a query about a natural, observable, and testable phenomenon

HYPOTHESIS - a testable statement; an explanation that can be tested by performing an investigation

PREDICTION - a statement that represents the expected outcome of an investigation; often used to test a hypothesis

DATA COLLECTION - data is information gathered during an investigation, either through observation or measurement

DATA ANALYSIS - finding patterns, highlighting relationships, and identifying trends among the data that was collected

EVIDENCE - data that has been analyzed and supports a specific conclusion

CONCLUSION or CLAIM - an answer to the guiding question or a statement that either supports or refutes a scientific idea

WHY "THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD" IS CRAP (skip to the 6:00 minute mark for a better "method")

How to Spot a Misleading Graph

Technology

TECHNOLOGY - the practical use of scientific knowledge, especially in the case of industrial and commercial uses

Technological advancements such as this not only make it easier to study new phenomena, unearth new discoveries, and perform ever-more complex calculations, but it is becoming increasingly easier to communicate those ideas to a global audience.

Scientific Notation