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Sunday, October 2, 2016

FEATURE ARTICLES. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD? PT 2.

Scientist, Pathologist

When you Discuss any Type of Theory to explain an Action, Event or Phenomena, be it a single example or a series, the SCIENTIFIC METHOD demands the Following;

-  DEFINE THE PARAMETERS OF WHAT YOU ARE SEEKING TO ESTABLISH.

-  WHAT METHODS DO YOU PLAN ON USING TO ESTABLISH RESULTS THAT CAN BE PROPERLY STUDIED, EVALUATED OR REPLICATED IN A LABORATORY SETTING.

-  HOW WAS ANY DATA OR INFORMATION TO BE USED OBTAINED?  WHAT ARE THE SOURCES, AND WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE GATHERING OF SUCH MATERIAL?  WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF CONTAMINATION THAT WOULD ALTER THE QUALITY OF USEFUL EVIDENCE?

-  IS CERTAIN EVIDENCE, THAT BY ITS NATURE IS OF LOW QUALITY, GIVEN TO MUCH INFLUENCE IN ESTABLISHING THE TRUTH OR VALIDITY OF ANY CONCLUSIONS BEING MADE. (This could include things like ANECDOTAL OR PICTORIAL TESTIMONY.  EVIDENCE LIKE THIS IS OFTEN VERY SUBJECTIVE IN NATURE, AND MAY RELY ON THE PERCEPTIONS OF THE OBSERVER OR WITNESS, WHICH COULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO EVALUATE OR STUDY IN ANY MEANINGFUL WAY.)

-  ARE THERE ANY ASSUMPTIONS OR ASSERTIONS BEING MADE ABOUT DATA BEING USED, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED AS TRUE?  DO ANY CONCLUSIONS BEING MADE RELY ON MATERIAL THAT ITSELF IS OF DUBIOUS AND UNSUBSTANTIATED  QUALITY?

-  ARE THE CONCLUSIONS MADE AT THE END THE BEST AND MOST PROBABLE WAY OF EXPLAINING THE EVIDENCE?  ARE THERE OTHER, MORE REASONABLE WAYS TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAS BEEN FOUND?

In Part 3, we will look at how these GUIDELINES WERE USED IN THE PAST.

Date-  4/13/2015.


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