Scientific Method
Scientific inquiry tests explanations against observations and experiments. Clear methods, accessible evidence, and the possibility of results that challenge a hypothesis help others assess and repeat the work.
THE IDEA
Observation, reason, and experiment make up what we call the scientific method. — Richard Feynman
Scientific inquiry develops explanations and tests them against evidence. It includes observation, measurement, experimentation, and revision of hypotheses. Different fields use different methods; there is no single sequence that fits every investigation.
Testing and Repeating Work
- Reproducibility: Report the methods, evidence, and analysis clearly enough for others to assess the work and attempt to repeat it. Consistent procedures help, but do not guarantee identical findings.
- Refutability: State what observations would conflict with a hypothesis. A test should be capable of challenging the explanation rather than merely illustrating it.
Using Evidence
Compare the predictions with the results and consider the quality of the measurement, alternative explanations, and uncertainty. An unexpected result may prompt a new test or a revised explanation. A result that is not statistically significant does not, by itself, prove there is no effect.
Document assumptions and decisions so that others can examine them. This helps expose errors and limits the influence of an investigator’s preferred conclusion.
When to use it
Medical and pharmaceutical research to establish treatment efficacy through clinical trials.
Software development and product management to validate features via controlled experiments (A/B testing).
Environmental science to test climate models against observational data and adjust hypotheses.
Quality control in manufacturing to identify defect causes through root cause analysis and iterative testing.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Drug Efficacy Testing
A research team tests whether a proposed migraine medication reduces headache frequency. It specifies the comparison in advance, uses a randomized trial, and reports the effect estimate and uncertainty. A nonsignificant result may leave the hypothesis unresolved, especially if the trial is too imprecise to distinguish a useful effect from no effect.
Consumer Product Development
A product team tests whether a redesigned checkout flow increases conversion. It defines the measure and comparison before running an A/B test, records the procedures, and examines the size and uncertainty of the result. Those records let others assess the conclusion or repeat the comparison.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How can you apply the principle of refutability to a belief you currently hold? What evidence would make you reject it?
Think of a recent decision you made based on tradition or popular opinion. How could you have used systematic observation and measurement to test the underlying assumption?
In your professional field, what steps could you take to improve the reproducibility of your work or to minimize subjectivity?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Wisdom Theory 100 Mental Models (2020) (Wisdom Theory)