http://www.ck12.org Chapter 1. Introduction to Chemistry
“Nature.” Journal articles are often very complex and detailed. They must be accurate, since the research field as a
whole uses these journal articles as a way to make scientific progress. Therefore, journal articles are only published
after having been extensively reviewed by other professional scientists in the same field. Reviewers have the power
to make suggestions about the research or possibly question the validity of the author’s conclusions. Only when the
reviewers are satisfied that the research is correct will the journal publish the article. This peer-review process allows
scientists to trust the research findings that they read about in journals.
Scientists also communicate with one another by presenting their findings at international conferences. Some
scientists are chosen to give lectures at conferences, typically about research that has already been published. Many
other scientists at the same conference will present their work at poster sessions (Figure1.9). These poster sessions
are more informal and may often represent research that is still in progress.
FIGURE 1.9
Scientists at a poster session.Lesson Summary
- The Renaissance, which took place in Europe between the 14thand 17thcenturies, was a time of great change
in thought and culture. Along with many other changes, science began to follow a more systematic approach
based on careful observation and experimentation. - The steps of the scientific method are to formulate a question, make a hypothesis, perform experiments,
analyze the results, and develop theories. - Professional scientists collaborate with one another by working in research groups and presenting their results
in scientific journals and at international conferences.
Lesson Review Questions
Reviewing Concepts
- What were some of the scientific contributions of da Vinci and Copernicus?
- What is a key requirement for a hypothesis to be a valid part of the scientific method?
- Which of the following is not a part of the scientific method?
a. experiment
b. hypothesis