The Scientific Method/Introduction

The Scientific Method
Welcome to the wikibook about the scientific method. This book is a wiki, and may be freely edited by all users. This book is released under the terms of the GFDL.

Who is this book for?
This book is for any person interested in learning about the scientific method. No background in science or mathematics is required to read and understand this text. Some of the historical chapters will discuss some philosophical topics that might be confusing to people with no familiarity with philosophy, but an attempt will be made to make all sections accessible.

What will this book cover?
This book is going to cover the scientific method, its history, and its applications. This book will not attempt to cover all of science, nor will it provide technical instruction in any particular branch of science. This book is mostly historical and philosophical, not technical.

How is this book organized?
This book will be organized into three primary sections. The first section will discuss the history of the scientific method, and the philosophical and scientific advancements that let to it's modern form. The second section will talk about how to apply the method to your inquiries, including a discussion of some common terms and tools. The third and final section will take a look at some specific experiments in various fields of science, to demonstrate how the method has been used to make major breakthroughs.

What are the prerequisites?
There are no specific prerequisites to reading and understanding this book. However, because the subject matter will be focused on history (especially European history) and philosophy, readers may find some benefit to reading books on those subjects first. This is not strictly required, however.