By TEACHER NORLYN

​1. MAKING AND OBSERVATION

​The first step of the scientific method is to make an observation about the world around you. In observation, you can gather information using your five senses. The scientific method is used when one does not know why or how something is occurring and wants to reveal the answer.

By TEACHER NORLYN

​2. ASKING QUESTIONS

​Once a scientists find an interesting thing to study, they need to ask a question that hopefully they can answer. The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something that you observe: How, What, When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?

By TEACHER NORLYN

​3. DOING BACKGROUND RESEARCH

​Find and read the general information contained in an encyclopedia, dictionary, textbook, approved thesis, or dissertation for each of your keywords. Read the background information and note any useful sources like books, journals, newspapers and magazines. You can also search information on the internet using two search engines such as Google and Yahoo.

By TEACHER NORLYN

​4. FORMULATING A HYPOTHESIS

​A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work. It is an attempt to answer your question with an explanation that can be tested. A good hypothesis allows you to then make a prediction: "If _____ [I do this] _____, then _____ [this] _____ will happen."

By TEACHER NORLYN

​5. TESTING YOUR HYPOTHESIS BY CONDUCTING AN EXPERIMENT

​After forming a hypothesis, an experiment must be set up and performed to test the hypothesis. An experiment must have an independent and dependent variables.

By TEACHER NORLYN

​During an experiment, data is collected. Data is a set of values; it may be quantitative (measured in numbers) or qualitative (description of characteristics not in numbers).

By TEACHER NORLYN

​6. ANALYZING YOUR DATA

​Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if they support your hypothesis or not. Take some time to carefully review all of the data you have collected from your experiment. Use charts, tables, graphs and photographs to help you analyze the data and patterns.

By TEACHER NORLYN

​7. MAKING A CONCLUSION

​In this step, scientists take a step back, look at the data, and decide whether to accept or reject the hypothesis. If the answer is “Yes” then you are done and if the answer is “No” then a new hypothesis is made and you need to repeat the experiment. Sometimes the conclusion is straightforward, but scientists always do statistical tests just to make sure they are reading the results correctly.

By TEACHER NORLYN

​8. COMMUNICATING YOUR RESULTS

​The final step of the scientific process is to communicate your results to others in a final report and/or a display board. Professional scientists do almost exactly the same thing by publishing their final report in a scientific journal or by presenting their results on a poster or during a talk at a scientific meeting. You can do this also during a science fair congress.