Scientific Method

For those who explain developments in science, it is often essential to understand and communicate what it is that makes scientific inquiry distinctive. Science is different from other forms of investigation, such as philosophy or mathematics, though it often borrows from these and other disciplines. Traditionally, explaining what makes science unique involved explaining what was often described as the scientific method. This implies that there is a clearly defined set of procedures or strategies that distinguish scientific reasoning from other modes of inquiry. However, in recent years, those who write on the nature of science have realized that things are far more complicated and nuanced than originally thought. While it is clear that there are a variety of goals, methods, and practices that many scientists ...