Scientific theory is the set of knowledge that seeks to explain, with a high degree of accuracy, comprehensive phenomena of nature, that is, it is different from meaning of the word "theory" used in everyday life, in common sense, when we say that something "is just a theory", in the sense that it is a mere speculation. An example of a scientific theory is the Theory of Evolution, which explains how species change over time.
The scientific method encompasses the observation of a fact; elaboration of a “question” about this fact, based on a theory that needs to be explained; and formulating a hypothesis consisting of possible testable answers to this question.
Scientists often test their hypothesis through experimental situations as a way to confirm or refute their deductions. When it is refuted, the latter must modify the hypothesis or replace it with another.
Generally, when experiments are needed, a “control group” is used, which will be the object of comparison. For example, to check whether the water of a certain stream is polluted, ecotoxicology methods can be used, which consists in depositing increasing concentrations of this water in different aquariums containing two fish of the same species and age (experimental group) and, as a control group, two fish in an aquarium containing water of faucet. After the necessary time, the situation of animals at different concentrations is compared with the experimental group, allowing the results and hypotheses to be validated or not.
Publication in specialized scientific journals would be the last step in the process. This is a way of publicizing the work and allowing other scientists to repeat the experiment and check the results or base them on for further research.
Hypotheses confirmed by various experiments and experiments can be considered laws and a set of laws and hypotheses can form a theory. Both, despite their credibility in the scientific world, can be corrected and improved as new discoveries are released. The fact, often also confused with what comes to be theory, reformulates and rejects this one, insofar as theories are modifiable: he redefines and clarifies them, improving the concepts proposed by them.
By Mariana Araguaia
Graduated in Biology
Brazil School Team
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Biology - Brazil School
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
ARAGUAIA, Mariana. "The scientific methodology"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/biologia/a-metodologia-cientifica.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
