science education resource

Scientific Method Explained and Illustrated

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The scientific method is the process scientists have used over time to answer questions about the world. Though there are many variations to how scientists “do science,” there are some basic steps that can be applied to the process to create a logical problem-solving approach. That said, these are not set in stone and scientists often use a variation of this approach. Here is a general model to follow.

scientific method

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School subscriptions can access more than 175 downloadable unit bundles in our store for free (a value of $1,500).

District subscriptions provide huge group discounts for their schools. Email for a quote: sheri@exploringnature.org.

The Scientific Method Illustrated

Here is an illustrated example of how the scientific method can be used to answer a simple question. Follow the steps to see how the proccess works.

scientific method illustrated
scientific method illustrated

Citing Research References

When you research information you must cite the reference. Citing for websites is different from citing from books, magazines and periodicals. The style of citing shown here is from the MLA Style Citations (Modern Language Association).

When citing a WEBSITE the general format is as follows.
Author Last Name, First Name(s). "Title: Subtitle of Part of Web Page, if appropriate." Title: Subtitle: Section of Page if appropriate. Sponsoring/Publishing Agency, If Given. Additional significant descriptive information. Date of Electronic Publication or other Date, such as Last Updated. Day Month Year of access < URL >.

Here is an example of citing this page:

Amsel, Sheri. "Scientific Method Explained and Illustrated" Exploring Nature Educational Resource ©2005-2024. March 25, 2024
< http://www.exploringnature.org/db/view/Scientific-Method-Explained-and-Illustrated >

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