Scientific Inquiry Quiz

Interplay between observation, experiment and theory in science:

• The scientific method involves careful observation, hypothesis formulation, experimental testing, and refinement or elimination of hypotheses based on experimental findings.

• The scientific method is not a fixed sequence of steps applicable to all scientific enterprises, but rather a set of general principles.

• Scientists test hypotheses by conducting experiments or studies, and a scientific hypothesis must be falsifiable.

• Empiricism is the ubiquitous element in the scientific method and is in opposition to stringent forms of rationalism.

• Early expressions of empiricism and the scientific method can be found throughout history, with particular development aided by theoretical works by various philosophers and scientists.

• The scientific method can build on previous knowledge and develop a more sophisticated understanding of its topics of study over time.

• The scientific method involves formulating a question, developing a hypothesis, making predictions based on the hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, analyzing the results, and incorporating evidence from other scientists and from experience.

• Replication is important in the scientific method, and significant or surprising results may be replicated by other scientists.

• Peer review involves evaluation of the experiment by experts, who typically give their opinions anonymously.

• The scientific method is not always aligned with a form of empiricism in which the empirical data is put forward in the form of experience or other abstracted forms of knowledge.

• The scientific method is a heterogeneous and local practice rather than a homogeneous and universal method.

• The scientific method is a process by which science is carried out and can be seen to underlie the scientific revolution.The Scientific Method: Key Points

• Scientists record their data and may be requested to share it with other scientists who wish to replicate their original results.

• Institutional researchers use observations of the real world to test their hypotheses and reduce the research function to a cost/benefit expressed in money and time.

• Large instruments, such as CERN's Large Hadron Collider, entail expected costs of billions of dollars and affect public policy on a national or international basis.

• The scientific method is an iterative, cyclical process through which information is continually revised and develops advances in knowledge.

• The scientific method includes formulating hypotheses, testing and analyzing results, and formulating new hypotheses.

• The scientific method is subject to peer review for possible mistakes and is often taught in the educational system as "the scientific method."

• Scientific measurements are usually tabulated, graphed, or mapped, and statistical manipulations performed on them.

• Measurements in scientific work are usually accompanied by estimates of their uncertainty, which can be calculated by consideration of the uncertainties of the individual underlying quantities used.

• Scientific quantities are often characterized by their units of measure, which can later be described in terms of conventional physical units when communicating the work.

• A hypothesis is a suggested explanation of a phenomenon and normally has the form of a mathematical model.

• Any useful hypothesis will enable predictions, which can be statistical and deal only with probabilities.

• Once predictions are made, they can be sought by experiments, and if the experimental results confirm the predictions, then the hypotheses are considered more likely to be correct.The Scientific Method: Key Points

• The scientific method involves a systematic approach to testing hypotheses through experimentation and observation.

• Scientists assume an attitude of openness and accountability and detailed record-keeping is essential to support the integrity of the procedure.

• The scientific method is iterative, meaning that it is possible to refine its accuracy and precision at any stage.

• Scientific inquiry aims to obtain knowledge in the form of testable explanations that scientists can use to predict the results of future experiments.

• Scientific knowledge is closely tied to empirical findings and can remain subject to falsification if new experimental observations are incompatible with what is found.

• Theories can also become subsumed by other theories, and scientific explanations become accepted over time as evidence accumulates on a given topic.

• The scientific community accepts scientific work when it has been confirmed, and experimental and theoretical results must be reproduced by others within the scientific community.

• The practice of experimental control and reproducibility can have the effect of diminishing the potentially harmful effects of circumstance and personal bias.

• The classical model of scientific inquiry derives from Aristotle, who distinguished the forms of approximate and exact reasoning, and set out the threefold scheme of abductive, deductive, and inductive inference.

• The hypothetico-deductive model or method is a proposed description of the scientific method, where predictions from the hypothesis are central.

• Scientific communication and community are important elements of the scientific method, and various standards of scientific methodology are used within such an environment, including the peer review evaluation.

• Invariance as a fundamental aspect of a scientific account of reality had long been part of philosophy of science.Overview of the Scientific Method

• The scientific method involves the testing of hypotheses through observation and experimentation.

• Peer review is a standard practice in scientific journals, where manuscripts are evaluated by fellow scientists for errors and quality.

• Documentation and replication are used to ensure accuracy and reliability of experimental results.

• Archiving of data, including experimental procedures and raw data, helps to provide evidence for methodology and assist in future attempts to reproduce results.

• Data sharing may be necessary when additional information is needed before a study can be reproduced.

• Limitations of the scientific method include the possibility of systematic errors or biased reporting of experimental results.

• The science of complex systems involves transdisciplinarity, systems theory, control theory, and scientific modeling.

• Philosophy of science examines the underlying logic and ethics of the scientific method, and there are different schools of thought on this.

• Postmodernist critiques of science have led to debates about the nature of scientific knowledge and its relationship to reality.

• Anthropology and sociology have studied the epistemic cultures of different scientific communities and their practices.

• Mathematics and science share similarities in their use of models and iterative steps, but the connection between mathematics and reality remains unclear.

• Statistics play a key role in scientific research, but there are concerns about the reliability of statistical analysis in some fields.

• Chance plays a significant role in scientific discovery, with estimates suggesting that up to half of all discoveries are stumbled upon rather than sought out.