Scientific hypothesis, an idea that proposes a tentative explanation about a phenomenon or a narrow set of phenomena observed in the natural world.

Observation of the real world had disproved the teachings of an ancient authority. Soon, European scholars began to question the accuracy of other Greek authorities. Such observations helped lead to the Scientific Revolution.

The scientific revolution, which emphasized systematic experimentation as the most valid research method, resulted in developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, and chemistry. These developments transformed the views of society about nature.

The next step in the scientific method is to analyze the data. Data analysis is the process of interpreting the meaning of the data we have collected, organized, and displayed in the form of a table or graph.

True experiments have four elements: manipulation, control , random assignment, and random selection. The most important of these elements are manipulation and control.

The experimental method involves manipulating one variable to determine if changes in one variable cause changes in another variable. This method relies on controlled methods, random assignment and the manipulation of variables to test a hypothesis.

Advantages of experimental research Researchers have a stronger hold over variables to obtain desired results. The subject or industry does not impact the effectiveness of experimental research. Any industry can implement it for research purposes. The results are specific.

Strength: Can be used in situations in which it would be ethically unacceptable to manipulate the independent variable, e.g. researching stress. Limitation: They may be more expensive and time consuming than lab experiments. Limitation: There is no control over extraneous variables that might bias the results.