Chapter 1 ~ Scientific Thinking

science

• a way of learning about the natural world

• a type of technology

• a form of art

• a method of cooking

observe

• to use one or more of your senses to gather information

• to ignore sensory input

• to analyze data without sensory input

• to memorize information without understanding

evaluate

• to compare observations and data to reach a conclusion about them

• to gather data without making any judgments

• to ignore data and focus on assumptions

• to present data in a visual format

personal bias

• an influence based on a person's likes or dislikes

• a statistical error in data analysis

• a method of objective reasoning

• a technique for improving decision-making

quantitative observation

• an observation that deals with numbers or amounts

• an observation based on personal feelings

• an observation that describes qualities

• an observation that is made without measurement

qualitative observation

• an observation that deals with descriptions (cannot be expressed in numbers)

• an observation that can be quantified and measured

• an observation based on numerical data

• an observation that is purely subjective and not based on facts

ethics

• the rules that enable people to know right from wrong

• a set of guidelines for financial transactions

• a method for scientific experimentation

• a style of artistic expression

classify

• to put items together in a group that are alike in some way

• to separate items based on their differences

• to randomly arrange items without any order

• to analyze items for their individual characteristics

predict

• to make a statement or claim about what will happen in the future based on past experience or evidence

• to guess randomly without any basis

• to describe an event that has already occurred

• to analyze data and draw conclusions from it

infer

• to explain or interpret things based on reasoning from what you already know

• to guess without any evidence

• to summarize information briefly

• to analyze data using statistical methods