- the method of discovery used by scientists from the Enlightenment onward, in which a question is identified, data are gathered through observation and research, a hypothesis is formulated and then tested through experimentation, and the results are analyzed to draw a conclusion: usually followed, in the scientific community, by sharing the results so that others can attempt to replicate and confirm them independently.
- any process followed systematically to arrive at knowledge of the universe, especially in premodern times: In developing his systematic reflection, Thomas Aquinas followed Aristotle's scientific method as far as possible.
- a method of investigation in which a problem is first identified and observations, experiments, or other relevant data are then used to construct or test hypotheses that purport to solve it
