Lab 1.3

*** This data lab is under construction and has not yet been published. We anticipate releasing this edition of the plate tectonics data lab around February 1, 2026 ***

Lab 1.3 – How do scientists use the scientific method?

Fundamental concept: Define the steps of the scientific method, observational science and identify them in a scientific case study.
Estimated time to complete: 20 minutes
Data skills preparation: All labs
Materials needed: None

Humans by nature are curious and we try to make sense of what we see around us. Scientists try to explain the natural world through scientific inquiry that can be categorized into two different categories or methods known as the scientific method and observational science. These two methods, while different, are also complementary to one another. Observational studies often generate hypotheses, which are then tested through experiments where possible, or by further refined observations in complex scientific fields.

The ocean is vast, dynamic, and interconnected across thousands of miles and ocean processes are subject to natural variability and cycles that can span decades. This large-scale cannot be replicated in a laboratory setting. Observational science allows researchers to distinguish these natural long-term variations from anthropogenic (human-caused) changes, a task that short-term experimental interventions cannot achieve. Collecting oceanographic data is often expensive and time consuming, thus modern oceanography uses a “collect once, use many times” approach, where satellite data (sea surface topography) and in-situ sensors (underwater gliders, floats and moorings) provide a real-time, four-dimensional representation of the ocean that can be used by many scientists as evidence for different natural phenomenon being studied.

The Scientific Method:

The Scientific method a process which actively manipulates variables in controlled conditions to establish cause-and-effect. This process often starts with an observation about something in nature and the scientist have a question such as why did that happen? How did that happen? Scientists then conduct some background research to see what knowledge already exists on the topic or phenomenon. They then formulate a hypothesis, their best educated guess at the answer to their question. The hypothesis must be written in a way that testable and falsifiable. An experiment is then designed to get data or information. Experiments use randomization to ensure results are due to the treatment rather than outside factors. The experiment often has:

Independent variable – the one you will vary, the cause
Dependent variable – the one that you measure, the effect
Controlled variables – all other variables are kept constant and what you compare the experimental group back to.

The control group is the group that you compare the experimental group to in order to see if there was a difference caused by the independent variable. The scientists then make conclusions based on the results or data from the experiment. The conclusions summarize the results and either reject or accept the hypothesis. It’s not that the hypothesis is right or wrong, it is based on how the experiment was designed and the data collected for that experiment. Often during an experiment, more questions arise which lead to more experiments and more conclusions. After many experiments, conclusions about a natural phenomenon can lead to a theory, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that is based on a large body of evidence gathered through experimentation and observation and repeatedly tested and supported by scientific evidence.

Tools of Science: Testable Questions

Quick Check Questions

Whether you realize it or not, you have probably gone through the process of the scientific method in your everyday life, but without the scientific rigor. You go outside to go to school, get into your car and turn the key – your car doesn’t start!  You don’t just throw your hands up and go buy another car.  Of course not!  You might try a few things to investigate common reasons for a car not starting, such as a dead battery, lack of fuel, faulty starter, or ignition issues by looking at the gas gauge, open the hood and looking for loose connections, see if the lights come on.  You see that a wire to the battery is loose.  So your guess as to why your car does not start is because the battery wire is loose, and if you tighten it the car should start. You tighten the connection to the battery and try to start your car.  It still doesn’t start but you note that the dashboard lights do not come on and the radio has no power either.  You now think that the battery is dead and if you jumpstart the car, it will allow the car to start.  You jumpstart the car and voila- the car starts.  You now know that you should get the battery checked for replacement.

 

Now this is a very simple scenario you might encounter in your everyday life without rigorous experimentation, but hopefully it provides a general sense of what the scientific method is and how it is used.

Let’s take a look at an actual scientific case study:

Insert case study here

Interpretation Questions

1. TBD

Application Questions

4. TBD 

Observational Science:

Observational science is often used in oceanography where scientific phenomena are studied in the natural environment without manipulation. In observational science, data is collected on existing conditions, behaviors, exposures or evidence.  Examples might be using proxies for climate change, tracking animal populations, studying storm events, studying fossil evidence or impacts of a water pollution event in existing populations without assigning treatments. The Ocean Observatories are part of observational science that is collecting real-time data as evidence for oceanographic.  Observational studies can only suggest a link or correlation because they cannot rule out unseen variables or factors that might influence the results. While in observational science it is sometimes more difficult to establish direct cause-and-effect due to confounding variables that cannot be controlled, it does provide important scientific evidence for global, large-scale phenomenon and various natural events that occur.

While both the scientific method and observational science both use observations, they differ in intervention or manipulation.  Conclusions from the scientific method experiments can provide stronger evidence for causation, but observational studies are crucial for complex real-world systems like oceanography, ecology or evolutionary science where manipulation isn’t possible.

In the next Lab 1.4 – OOI Science Highlight you will look at an example of observational science.

Compare the Scientific Method to observational science:

Insert table question here