The Scientific Method is a systematic procedure for acquiring knowledge that has characterized the development of science since the 17th century.

It marked a shift from relying on tradition, authority, and deductive reasoning to emphasizing empirical evidence and experimentation.

The English philosopher Francis Bacon was a key proponent of the inductive method, which involves making observations and then forming general principles.

The French philosopher René Descartes championed the deductive method, using reason and mathematics to derive conclusions.

The modern scientific method is a synthesis of these two approaches.

It typically begins with an observation and the formulation of a question.

A testable hypothesis is then proposed to answer the question.

An experiment is designed and conducted to test the validity of the hypothesis.

The results of the experiment are analyzed to draw a conclusion, which may support or refute the hypothesis.

Key principles of the method include reproducibility (others can repeat the experiment) and peer review (scrutiny by other experts).