Science as a Method for Everyday Life

By Susan Presby Kodish, Ph.D.

© 1995

1. Identify your assumptions, theories, etc.
   
   
2. Clarify them by defining your terms, etc.
   
   
3. Develop clear answerable questions that you then ask in order to make observations that will help you answer them.
   
   
4. Make your observations in a calm, 'unprejudiced' manner.
   
   
5. Report your observations as accurately as possible and in such a way as to answer the questions that you asked to begin with.
   
   
6. Revise any assumptions, theories, etc., held before the observations were made, in light of the observations made and the answers obtained.
   
   
7. Begin again, and again, and again...[1]

• Our 'knowledge' evolves in a circular or spiral manner. You can 'begin' at any point in these steps when working to solve a problem. However, the decision to ask questions and make observations usually seems to arise when you encounter something unexpected, due to some problematic assumption(s) you hold.
  
  
• Our conclusions are held tentatively, subject to further revision.
  
  
• Our conclusions are more or less supported or refuted; nothing is 'proven'.
  
  

• What do I (and you) mean? (Steps 1 and 2)
  
  
• How do I (and you) know? (Steps 3, 4 and 5)
  
  
• What then? (Steps 6 and 7)[2]