Systematic approach to acquiring knowledge through observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing. The scientific method emphasizes empirical evidence, reproducibility, and falsifiability. - Core Steps - Observation - identifying phenomena to explain - Question - formulating research questions - Hypothesis - proposing testable explanations - Prediction - deriving observable consequences - Experimentation - testing predictions under controlled conditions - Analysis - evaluating data and drawing conclusions - Replication - verifying results through repeated studies - Key Principles - [[Empiricism]] - knowledge based on sensory experience - Falsifiability - hypotheses must be testable and potentially refutable - Parsimony - simpler explanations preferred (Occam's razor) - Reproducibility - results should be replicable by others - Peer review - critical evaluation by scientific community - Related Topics - [[Empiricism]] - [[Philosophy|philosophical]] foundation for scientific method - [[Skepticism]] - critical evaluation of claims - [[Epistemology]] - theory of knowledge - Applications - Natural sciences - physics, chemistry, biology - Social sciences - [[psychology]], sociology, economics - Applied sciences - medicine, engineering, technology