<p id="fs-id1870503">Biologists study the living world by posing questions about it and seeking science-based responses. This approach is common to other sciences as well and is often referred to as the <strong>scientific method</strong>. People used the scientific method even in ancient times, but England’s Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) was the first to document it (<a href="#attachment_95085">see image below</a>). In fact, he set up inductive methods for scientific inquiry. The scientific method is not exclusively used by biologists but can be applied to almost all fields of study as a logical, rational problem-solving method.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_95085" style="width: 544px"><a href="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/83fe24db-49ef-4f22-acd7-22e5522c5a97"><img alt="sir-francis-bacon" class="size-full wp-image-95085" height="892" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/83fe24db-49ef-4f22-acd7-22e5522c5a97" width="544"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626) is credited with being the first to define the scientific method. Image Attribution: Paul van Somer</p></div>
<p>The scientific process typically starts with an observation (often a problem to be solved) that leads to a question. Let’s think about a simple problem that starts with an observation and apply the scientific method to solve the problem.</p>
<p>One Monday morning, a student arrives at class and quickly discovers that the classroom is too warm. That is an observation that also describes a problem: the classroom is too warm. The student then asks a question: “Why is the classroom so warm?”</p>
<section data-depth="2" id="fs-id1568706">
<h2 data-type="title">Proposing a Hypothesis</h2>
<p id="fs-id1812636">Recall that a hypothesis is a suggested explanation that can be tested. To solve a problem, we may propose several hypotheses. For example, one hypothesis might be, "The classroom is warm because no one turned on the air conditioning." But there could be other responses to the question, and therefore the student may propose other hypotheses. A second hypothesis might be, "The classroom is warm because there is a power failure, and so the air conditioning doesn't work."</p>
<p id="fs-id1966007">Once a hypothesis has been selected, the student can make a prediction. A prediction is similar to a hypothesis but it typically has the format "If ... then ...." For example, the prediction for the first hypothesis might be, "<em data-effect="italics">If</em> the student turns on the air conditioning, <em data-effect="italics">then</em> the classroom will no longer be too warm."</p>
</section>
<section data-depth="2" id="fs-id2186799">
<h2 data-type="title">Testing a Hypothesis</h2>
<p id="fs-id1428118">A valid hypothesis must be testable. It should also be <strong>falsifiable</strong>, meaning that it can be disproved by experimental results (<a href="#attachment_47391">see image below</a>). Importantly, science does not claim to "prove" anything because scientific understandings are always subject to modification with further information. This step—openness to disproving ideas—is what distinguishes sciences from non-sciences. The presence of the supernatural, for instance, is neither testable nor falsifiable.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_47391" style="width: 800px"><a href="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/fff1d2d7-54ae-42b8-8e50-7954726575ae"><img alt="biologist-microscope" class="wp-image-47391 size-full" height="451" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/fff1d2d7-54ae-42b8-8e50-7954726575ae" width="800"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">A biologist carrying out an experiment in a laboratory. Image Attribution: Shutterstock</p></div>
<h3>Variables and Control Groups</h3>
<p>To test a hypothesis, a researcher will conduct one or more experiments designed to eliminate one or more of the hypotheses. Each experiment will have one or more variables and one or more controls. A <strong>variable</strong> is any part of the experiment that can vary or change during the experiment. The <strong>control group</strong> contains every feature of the experimental group except it is not given the manipulation that is hypothesized about.</p>
<p>Therefore, if the results of the experimental group differ from the control group, the difference must be due to the hypothesized manipulation, rather than some outside factor. In the next lesson, we will explore an example. Look for the variables and controls in the example.</p>
<h3>Iterating Tests for Different Hypotheses</h3>
<p>To test the first hypothesis, the student would find out if the air conditioning is on. If the air conditioning is turned on but does not work, there should be another reason, and this hypothesis should be rejected. To test the second hypothesis, the student could check if the lights in the classroom are functional. If so, there is no power failure and this hypothesis should be rejected.</p>
<p>Each hypothesis should be tested by carrying out appropriate experiments. Be aware that rejecting one hypothesis does not determine whether or not the other hypotheses can be accepted; it simply eliminates one hypothesis that is not valid (<a href="#attachment_68909">see image below</a>). Using the scientific method, the hypotheses that are inconsistent with experimental data are rejected.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_68909" style="width: 469px"><a href="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/e8189c3c-46ce-43a2-93f7-22e6f468538c"><img alt="scientific-method" class="size-full wp-image-68909" height="798" src="https://data.ulearngo.com/assets/e8189c3c-46ce-43a2-93f7-22e6f468538c" width="469"/></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The scientific method consists of a series of well-defined steps. If a hypothesis is not supported by experimental data, a new hypothesis can be proposed. Image Attribution: OpenStax Biology (<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a>).</p></div>
<p id="fs-id2000920">While this “warm classroom” example is based on observational results, other hypotheses and experiments might have clearer controls. For instance, a student might attend class on Monday and realize she had difficulty concentrating on the lecture. One observation to explain this occurrence might be, “When I eat breakfast before class, I am better able to pay attention.” The student could then design an experiment with a control to test this hypothesis.</p>
<h2>Flexibility in Science</h2>
<p>The scientific method may seem too rigid and structured. It is important to keep in mind that, although scientists often follow this sequence, there is flexibility. Sometimes an experiment leads to conclusions that favor a change in approach; often, an experiment brings entirely new scientific questions to the puzzle.</p>
<p>Many times, science does not operate in a linear fashion; instead, scientists continually draw inferences and make generalizations, finding patterns as their research proceeds. Scientific <a href="https://app.ulearngo.com/tutorials/introducing-study-of-life/scientific-reasoning">reasoning</a> is more complex than the scientific method alone suggests. Notice, too, that the scientific method can be applied to solving problems that aren’t necessarily scientific in nature.</p>
</section>

ad260561-7f24-4cf8-a3f2-b129f5e47c91

The Scientific Method

Biology studies life and living organisms. Biology can be divided into different sections that cover the morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, and so on of living organisms.

Biology

Explore the foundations of biology as a science, including scientific reasoning, the scientific method, controlled experiments, and reporting scientific work to gain an understanding of the properties of life, levels of organization, and diversity of living things.


The Scientific Method

Track Your Learning Progress