How are science and scientific methods different?

Answer 1

a scientific method is a way scientists answer questions and solve problems and science is the gathering of information.

While the above is true in that science certainly must gather information, it's what is done with that information that defines the scientific method. In any scientific endeavor the methodology of the experiment or study must be clearly defined. i.e; I must describe in detail how I intend to work with the information I have gathered, how and what information was gathered, the tools I intend to use, how I will use those tools to manipulate the information, the result I expect of the experiment, and the actual result of the experiment. Note that "information" may be anything from photons of light or the wheel from a truck. The tools I use may be a laser or a tire iron. The procedure I use to manipulate the information with the chosen tools must be very clearly explained in detail. If given the above, and if there are no significant errors in my procedure, you are able to duplicate my results using the same information, tools, and procedures, then we can be reasonably sure, until the same methodology proves different, that we engaged in an experiment using the scientific method. The scientific method allows us to confirm or refute experiments done by ourselves or others. It is indeed the process we use to learn of the world around us in a definitive manner. It may also be said that we may perform different experiments and obtain the same result, utilizing the scientific method. Nothing wrong with that. But if you cannot repeat my results using my method to the letter, there may indeed be an error in the methodology used by one of us. We, or someone else must then attempt to repeat the experiment to determine if either of us was correct.