The scientific method involves six scientific process skills: observation, communication, classification, measurement, inference, and prediction. These skills are used in experiments and daily life to conduct objective investigations and problem-solving. Scientists use these skills to make educated guesses and design experiments to verify or disprove hypotheses.
The history of science is in part the history of how scientists came to look at the world they study. Experimentation and scientific observation have been defined by exercising a process called the scientific method. The underlying skills and premises governing the scientific method are referred to as scientific process skills.
Scientific process skills refer to the following six actions, in no particular order: observation, communication, classification, measurement, inference, and prediction. These basic skills are used in the experiments of scientists and students, as well as in the daily life of the average person, to some extent. They enable everyone to conduct objective investigations and come to conclusions based on the results.
The first of the scientific process skills, observation, involves observing the attributes of objects and situations through the use of the senses. Classification goes one step further by grouping objects or situations together based on shared attributes. Measurement involves expressing physical characteristics in quantitative ways. Communication brings together the first three skills to report to others what has been discovered from experimentation.
Inference and prediction are the most sophisticated of these skills. Beyond simply seeing and reporting the results, scientists need to extract their meaning. These skills may involve finding patterns in the results of a series of experiments and using the experience to form new hypotheses. It is also essential for a scientist to be able to distinguish his objective observations from his inferences and predictions. This is because scientific inquiry and study depend on objectivity and the avoidance of hasty assumptions in experimentation.
All skills related to scientific processes contribute to a larger purpose, namely problem solving. Problem solving is the reason for scientific inquiry and constitutes its essence. A typical experiment where a scientist uses process skills and the scientific method will start with a few questions being asked. Based on previous knowledge and experience, the scientist will make an educated guess about the answer or outcome. This assumption will guide the design and execution of an experiment.
Once the experimental variables have been determined, they can be isolated and controlled for. Conclusions drawn based on careful data collection during the procedure can lead to verification or proof that the hypothesis is incorrect. Experience will show a scientist that different conclusions can be drawn from the same set of observations, and still be correct.
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