Scientific inquiry, often called the scientific method, is a way of thinking that involves observing, questioning, reasoning, predicting, testing, interpreting, concluding, and posing further questions. Scientific inquiry builds theories. Scientific inquiry begins when a scientist makes an observation, raises questions about it, and reasons to construct an explanation, or hypothesis. Experiments test the validity of the hypothesis, and conclusions are based on data analysis.
Experimental controls ensure that only one variable is examined at a time.
Other scientists must repeat an experiment to verify the results. Experiments take many forms, including observations of natural events, tests on living organisms, computer simulations, and epidemiological evidence. A meta-analysis combines results of many studies to reach a consensus. The scientific method does not always yield a complete answer or explanation or may produce ambiguous results. Discoveries may be unusual, unexpected, or serendipitous.