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The Scientific Method Today

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Supporting Ingredients to
The Scientific Method (SM-14)

The scientific method is often said to represent the system of science.

Frequently formulas for the scientific method are condensed versions of the method.

In the SM-14 formula, a more complete formula is presented.

To make the formula more suitable for teaching purposes and people to understand the method of science, supporting ingredients have been included in the SM-14 formula.

They are:
#12 - Creative, Non-logical, Logical & Technical Methods
#13 - Procedural Principles & Theories
#14 - Attributes & Thinking Skills

Creative Methods
Creativity often involves change, inspiration, or a combination of old ideas to produce a new ideaor solution. a body of methods has developed for improving creativity.

Four important creative methods are reflective thinking, rest illumination, triggers, and brainstorming.

Ingredient #12:

CREATIVE, NON-LOGICAL, LOGICAL
& TECHNICAL METHODS

NOTE: By including these supporting ingredients, the SM-14 formula now (revised 1997), reflects the whole system of science and the system of the complete method of creative problem solving and decision making.

For teaching students and for general understanding of the scientific method we need to properly identify the working, action, effective and applied methods that produce actual results.

These are used under the first eleven stages of SM-14. "Methods" as used here include such elements and auxiliry actions as:

Processes	Procedures
Tactics	Techniques
Approaches	Systems
Operations	Strategies
Programs	Criteria

There are times when we must solve problems of necessity, for school, to satisfy parents, and for other special reasons. It can be fun and is a part of the essence of life!

Non-logical Methods

While it may not be "scientific" to use non-logical methods, nevertheless, in actual practice, scientists and all problem solvers are always using them.

Time is often the main reason these are used. Some non-logical methods used result from habits, emotions, trial and error, arbitrariness, haste, frustration, closed mindedness, experimentation, unreasoned opinions, risk taking, intuitive pure guess, etc.

Be alert to whether they affect your results favorably or unfavorably. Chance, accidental discovery, fortunate occurrences, unanticipated novelty, effective surprise, and serendipity probably are non-logical methods or ways.

Logical Methods (in the broadest sense)

Any method based on sound reasoning is classified here as logical. Some researchers may apply logical methods based on accepted rules of reasoning standardized by logicians.

Usually, though, people use "semi-intuitive" logic resulting from their base of experiences, thinking skills, and knowledge. Examples of well-known logical methods based on reasoning and experience are methods of:

controlled variations	pattern identification	trial and error	falsification
reviewing the literature	artificial intelligence	Classification	surveying

Technical Methods
No standard exists to determine what methods to term "technical." A method involving measuring, mathematics, use of tools, instruments, and apparatus ca be termed "technical."

Since most others are general methods usend in all fields and for all types of problems, some authors point out that these technical methods are really only ones that can accurately be called methods of science or scientific methods.

Scientific Methods vs. The Scientific Method

The term, scientific methods, had real meaning in prior centuries when scientists were our principal problem solvers.

Today it would be more precise to use a collective term such as "problem solving methods" for the creative, non-logical, logical and technical methods used in science and general problem solving usdet the stages of the scientific method. In science literature, the most common alternate word for "scientific methods is "techniques."

Proceeding Scientifically

This is explained in Introduction to Logic (1982) by Irving M. Copi (1917 - ) - philosopher, educator, and author of books on logic:

As the term "scientific" is generally used today, it refers to any reasoning which attempts to proceed from observable facts of experience to reasonable (that is, relevant and testable) explanations for those facts. The scientific method is not confined to professional scientists; anyone can be said to be proceeding scientifically who follow the general pattern of reasoning from evidence to conclusions that can be tested by experience. The skilled detective is a scientist in this sense, as are most of us -- in our more rational moments, at least.

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