The scientific approach to knowledge

At this point in your education, you are no doubt familiar with the "scientific method." We put scientific method in quotation marks because there is no single scientific method. There is no single way of describing the scientific approach to establishing knowledge. We present one way. In addition to our description, you may want to look at other descriptions. Go to google.com or some other search engine and do a search on "scientific inquiry" or "scientific method" and you will find that there are literally millions of sites with views on these topics. Or, you may wish to visit three sites we recommend. These are:

Introduction to the Scientific Method describes steps in the scientific method, discusses hypothesis testing, identifies common mistakes in applying the scientific method, and addresses other topics related to scientific inquiry.

An Introduction to Science provides a definition of science, discusses scientific and critical thinking in terms of three central elements; empiricism, use of empirical or observational evidence; rationalism, the practice of logical reasoning; and skepticism, possessing a questioning attitude.

The Scientific Method defines the scientific method, the difference between a fact, theory, and hypothesis, how science established truth, and other issues related to establishing scientific knowledge.

By comparing what we say with the discussions on these sites and others you may find, you will gain a clearer idea of how scientific inquiry is carried out.  

Although scientists may describe the process of scientific inquiry in different ways, all scientific research is based on a way of answering questions about the natural world. Scientific inquiry is based on a set of assumptions about how knowledge is established and a set of norms for guiding how research is conducted. First, let's examine the assumptions underlying scientific inquiry.

Assumptions underlying scientific inquiry

Scientific inquiry is based on certain assumptions about the natural world we live in and how we learn about it. Although the following assumptions cannot be "proved" as true, scientists accept them as reasonable bases for conducting scientific inquiry.

There is an objective reality. Science assumes there is an objective reality outside of what we experience through our senses. Each of us develops some idea of this reality from our daily experiences. We see the sun rise each day. We do not imagine this. It is a real event.   So are the many other things we experience daily.   They are real and external to us.

Nature is orderly. Natural events and processes occur in an orderly, predictable manner. Long before scientific research began, humans saw orderly processes in nature - in the movement of the sun, moon, and planets; in the recurring seasons; in the cycle of life, growth, and death; and in so many other ways. Scientists seek to discover   orderly processes in nature and to describe them as precisely as possible. In the physical sciences, description takes the form of mathematical relations among things. Social scientists also seek to discover recurring patterns in social behavior, although we are not able to summarize these patterns as precisely as physical scientists do.

Nature is an interactive, closed system. To scientists, nature is not only orderly, but it is an interactive system. Each part or each event is connected to other parts and events. Weather systems illustrate this point. We see the changes coming, often in the form of changes in cloud formations and wind directions. Heavy clouds generally bring rain. It doesn't rain without clouds. The clouds form because of changes in temperature, pressure, humidity, or wind directions at points far away. Although far from perfect, scientific understanding of what causes changes in weather patterns helps us predict and prepare for future weather conditions.

Our description of the assumptions of science is adapted from the work of Merton (1968, pp. 607-615); Nachmias & Nachmias (2000, pp. 5-7); and Williams (2000): See the List of References.

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1 Our description of the assumptions of science is adapted from the work of Merton (1968, pp. 607-615); Nachmias & Nachmias (2000, pp. 5-7); and Williams (2000): See the List of References.