Final answer:
The scientific method involves a series of prescribed steps that include observation, hypothesis formation, experiment design, data collection, data analysis, and integration of results.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scientific method primarily involves a series of prescribed steps that have been established over centuries of scientific scholarship. These steps include:
- Observe natural phenomena and read the science of others.
- Infer and propose a hypothesis based on objectivity and reason.
- Design an experiment to test the hypothesis and collect measurable evidence.
- Perform the experiment, observe, and measure data.
- Analyze how the data supports or does not support the hypothesis.
- Integrate the experimental results with earlier hypotheses and prior knowledge.
Through this systematic approach, scientists strive to be objective, critical, skeptical, and logical in their pursuit of understanding the world.