1.4 THE SCIENTIFIC METHODS Science is a method to understand the constantly changing environment.

Original Discovery is everything and can be made by: 2. Frontier science is where there are new scientific breakthroughs, mostly untested. 3. Consensus science utilizes data, theories, and laws that are widely accepted. 1. Serendipity is when something occurs by chance, like discovering that a termite is attracted to a specific type of ink because a termite crawled on paper where you were writing.

2. Double-blind studies are common in medicine, where one group of patients is given a treatment and a similar group of patients receives a placebo. Neither the patient nor the doctor knows which group has the therapy. 1. Controlled experiments are the standard in scientific research. There are 5 basic protocols for scientific research:

3. Correlation study compares conditions in similar situations. For example, a correlation study is appropriate if a farmer notices that the plants in the north end of the field are dying and the same type of plants in the south end of the field are thriving. Research compares conditions to find what is causing the differences.

4. Extrapolation Analysis of data is used, for example, to estimate the number of illness expected during the flu season, when actually giving people the flu would be inappropriate. 5.Field Study Used to collect data under natural conditions generally to develop baseline information for healthy ecosystems or to compare unusual conditions to a previous study.

When designing an experiment, the following steps are called The Scientific Method. a. Observation of a problem or posing a question. Research should be done to find out what is already known about the study, and questions are often raised about appropriate test subjects. This is the basis of scientific inquiry. b. State a hypothesis – A hypothesis is a possible explanations, or prediction of what may occur. These are often written as “If…then” statements. For example, “If I change the type of seeds in a bird feeder, then more birds will visit.”

The most common form is called the Null Hypothesis, or H 0. This represents the situation where a theory is put forward, either because it is believed to be true or because it has not been proven but may provide a basis for argument. Since the Null hypothesis is related directly to the statement being tested, it is usually given special consideration. An H 0 example would be that “There is no difference between Coke and Pepsi”. An Alternate Hypothesis or H 1 would suggest that there is a difference between the drinks.

After scientists generate a hypothesis, they develop experimental tests to make observations and collect data. c. Collect data – In order for the data to be meaningful, the experiment must have a correctly designed protocol or method. d. Display the data in graphs, charts, or tables so that others can repeat the experiment and validate the accuracy of the experiment.

e. Analyze the data – Look for patterns, trends, statistical significance, percentage of change or relationship. Statistics are often employed to determine whether to accept the null hypothesis or not. Rejecting the null hypothesis suggests that the alternative hypothesis may be true.

The conclusion should relate to the null hypothesis first.” Scientists either “reject H 0 in favor of H 1 ” or support the alternative hypothesis when there is sufficient evidence. It should say, “The data supports the null hypothesis,” or “The data does not support the null hypothesis.” f. Conclusion – establish your evidence, argue your point. Did the results support what was predicted? Were there any other possible explanations for the results? The experimenter may discuss possible future research or redesign considerations

Professional scientists and researchers share their findings in scientific journals through publishing their results. Peer review is an important part of the process.

g. The experiment may lead to the development of a theory or law. Theory is an idea, principle or model that usually ties together and explains a cause and effect relationship that is conditional upon a set of circumstances. It is supported by a great deal of evidence. A law is always true and describes a phenomenon that we find happening in nature over and over in the same way, without exception. It does not attempt to explain how or why.

The following outline is a suggested format for students’ writing a formal lab report for an experimental design: 1. Purpose:This should be a statement. 2. Hypothesis:Tell what you expect to happen for each part of your experiment. Do not use personal pronouns. 3. Materials:Give a complete list. 4. Procedure: Use numbered steps and include everything so that someone else can complete the same experiment

5. Data: Summarize the results in paragraph form, then give charts, tables, graphs, photos, etc. Specifically refer to these by page number, graph number and so on in the body of the paper. 6. Conclusion:Relate results to the hypothesis. Explain errors and how to improve methods. 7. Discussion:Possible improvements or future research.

Your instructor may also wish you to attach a Review of Literature. This is a short research paper including a review of the subject and current publications on the topic. This may be followed by a bibliography, or references page. Your teacher will let you know the appropriate format for this, but it is customary to use MLA or APA formats for science works cited or consulted. There is a free citation service at