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An example of such a guide is "The Scientific Method."
| A guide in itself will prodice no results. Its purpose is to keep your thoughts and efforts on a course of action. |
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A Single Applied Method (Can also be called an action or operating method) |
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In a direct effort to achieve resuts, scientists and other problem solvers apply, along with a great many ideas and variations, a number of specific methods from a huge body or ever-changing, ever-growing creative, logical, and technical methods.
These are often referred to as:
| methods of science - scientific methods - problem-solving methods |
Two examples of such methods:
| The method of experimental variables -
The method of using mental triggers |
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NOT ONE of the above applied methods is sufficiently versatile to do a complete job of solving complex problems,
~ BUT ~
Those making false claims that there is "No One Method" never say that here is "No One Guide." Instead they perpetuate the above misinterpretation of "method" when making false claims that "The Scientific Method Does Not Exist."
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Prove to yourself that it does exist:
Look at any of the formulas offered for "The Scientific Method" or look at a more complete guide such as SM-14. It is very obvious that they are only guides, and not a directly applied method.
Professor Gustav Bergmann, in Philosophy of Science (1957), brings out these important points:
The word 'method' is highly ambiguous. If you misinterpret 'method' and make false claims as to what 'scientific method' is, 'then there simply is no such animal. If you interpret it correctly, then there is just one basic scientific method.
Here is what he said:
"Some wanted to distinguish the several sciences by their 'methods', some, by their 'subject matter', some, by both; these latter believed that each subject matter has its proper method. 'Method' is highly ambiguous if it refers to specific procedures, such as the use of certain in.Wuments, then the number of methods is countless and ever growing. Thus one would have to find a way to determine groups or clusters of methods. (The search would not get us anywhere. But I shall not show that in detail.) If 'method' means what is now often spoken of as 'scientific method', two things must be said. If what is meant is a set of rules orprescriptions, like those in a cookbook; which if followed must lead to the discovery of laws and theories, then there simply is no such animal. If what is meant is that scientists make observations and, whenever, possible, experiments; that they try to discover laws, and that they combine these laws into theories; then there is one and only one scientific method. Thus it cannot be used to distinguish among the several sciences." |
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