Scientific Methods

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Scientific Methods
Science requires a systematic process for
gathering knowledge a. many approaches to
studying life - depends on which field/level
of biology, creativity of the scientist b.
all approaches have some underlying common
steps/principles
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Scientific Methods
Start Here
Observations Patterns in space or time
Accept null refute hypothesis
Hypothesis Predictions based on observations
Interpretation
Reject null Support hypothesis
Experiment Critical test of null hypothesis
Null Hypothesis Logical opposite of the hypothesis
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1. Experiemental design a. procedure that tests
a hypothesis by the process of collecting
information under controlled conditions. b.
Involves two groups or more groups - Control
Group i. standard in which all conditions are
kept the same - Experimental group(s) i.
test group all conditions the same as control
except one being tested c. Only one
condition changed at a time
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d. Double-blind experiments - common in medical
studies - neither subject or researcher knows
who gets varient and who gets control until
after the experiment i. uses coded
placebo - avoids researcher bias
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Report Findings 1. Publish results a.
until published they do not exist in scientific
community b. peer reviewed c.
allows for verification of results by others
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Some Questions Beyond the Realm of Science 1.
Ethics and Morality a. Good vs. Evil
2. Aesthetics a. Beauty vs. Ugliness 3.
Metaphysical Questions a. Faith b.
Spirituality c. Things not measurable in
the physical world - and not predicted based on
physical principles