Monday, July 15, 2024

Scientific Methodology. It starts by observation and asking a question.




The scientific method defined

The scientific method is a procedure that’s been used in science since the 17th century. It consists of systematic observation, experimenting, measuring, testing, formulating, and modifying a hypothesis.

7 steps of the scientific method

The scientific method has seven basic steps. Depending on your profession, the type of question asked, and the science applied, the steps might need to be adjusted, reduced, or expanded upon to meet your needs.

Here are the steps to the scientific method with an example hypothesis provided:

Step #1: Ask the question

Asking a question you want to answer is the first step in the scientific method. The question should be measurable and possible to answer through research and experimentation. It will also begin with how, what, when, where, why, which, or who. Typically, the question is something that can be measured through numerical data providing a numerical result. However, it is also possible to achieve behavioral results, which is common in the field of psychiatry and mental health.

Example: You might be curious whether there is a causal relationship between drawing and relaxation in females. A good question might be: “Does the art of drawing help females feel more relaxed?

Step #2: Conduct research

The next step in the scientific method is conducting research. Your preliminary research will support you in conducting your experiment. Use reputable resources, like academic and scientific journals, to gather background information and data. You might also be able to pull past scientific studies and other experiments to help you with your experimentation.

Example. Based on the above example question, you might review past studies about art therapy with females, drawing used as a mediative technique, and behaviors in females directly influenced by drawing.

Step #3: Develop your hypothesis

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation based on limited evidence that gives you a starting point for further research. Essentially, it’s an educated guess based on your assumptions of what might happen or what the result of your experiment will be. Your hypothesis should be measurable.

Example: As you fine-tune your thoughts, you determine what will likely happen. For example, “If females who feel anxious draw, it will help them relax and reduce their anxiety more than females who feel anxious and take no action to relax.”

Step #4: Test your hypothesis with an experiment

Now that you’ve developed your hypothesis, it’s time to quantifiably test it. You get to decide the best way to test it based on your resources and needs. Regardless, your experiment should be repeatable by others.

Example: You test out the hypothesis: You provide a survey to a group of women and then randomly select a group that reports being stressed regularly after work. You then give a group of them a sketch pad with some sketches they can draw, and you give the other group nothing to draw.

Step #5: Make an observation

You’ll next need to assess and analyze your scientific process. If you change any part of the experimentation process, it’s vital to keep the rest of the variables consistent to maintain data fairness. You also want to fully document your processes and any adaptations you make.

Repeat the experiment a few times to test the validity and reliability of the test. Validity means the test measures what it’s supposed to measure, and reliability means results are consistent and can be reproduced under the same conditions.

Example: In reviewing the data, you realize what you had thought would happen didn’t happen consistently across the board. You discover that the difficulty level of the drawing impacted the females’ ability to relax. It appears the more difficult the drawing, the less the stress levels decrease. Therefore, you adjust your hypothesis to indicate that females’ stress levels decrease with drawing activities based on the females’ perception of the level of difficulty of the drawing.

Step #6: Examine your results and draw a conclusion

You’ve made it through the challenging first steps, and now it’s time to analyze the data from your experiments and test and examine it to determine if it supports your hypothesis. You’ll then draw a conclusion as to whether the results support your hypothesis.

If the results do not support your hypothesis, you can develop a new hypothesis and repeat steps 1 through 5. If the results do support your hypothesis, it’s time to put the information and insights together to present your findings to others.

Example: You determine that a female’s stress level is reduced when drawing. However, the perceived difficulty level of the drawing influences the level of stress reduction. An easier drawing provokes more significant stress reduction compared to drawings that are perceived to be difficult by the subject.

Step #7: Share your findings

Finally, your hard work pays off. It’s time to present your findings to others. You will base how you present your findings on the type of experiment and its purpose. If you are a scientist or professional researcher, you might choose to present your findings in an academic or scientific publication. If your work is for a school project, you might present your findings in a presentation, a written report, or on a poster or display board.

Example: You develop a formal report and share your findings.

Test it out for yourself

Scientist or not, you now have the basics to develop your own hypothesis and conduct research to draw conclusions. If you have some burning questions you’d like to get to the bottom of, have some fun and give the scientific method a whirl. It will give you some practice for the future when you’re asked to do so for work.








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