You have hit the bell on one thing, that is the understandability of the scientific method. As being one of the persons that added the scientific method to the document, from what is being said here I do not understand its meaning. Based on the confusion in the discussion, your opinion is made correct about it being confusing to the average user is true.

There seems to be a confusion as to what is the science objective and what is the legal objective. I can understand the use of the scientific method as a problem-solving methodology. I think one of the problems is how the scientific method is portrayed to the fire investigation community. It is made to look like something that is used by scientist. This is not true.

The Scientific Method is used by everyone to solve everyday problems including medical ailments, health issues, money management, traveling, shopping, cooking, household chores, and even crossing a street. Everyday problems share the same commonalities as scientific problems. They are situations that require solutions; they hold difficulties that need to be resolved. As such, everyday problems would benefit by employing the scientific method. We will study how the scientific method can be used in daily life. It illustrates how to exploit the information collected from our five senses, how to solve problems when no information is available for the present problem situation, how to increase our chances of success by redefining a problem, and how to extrapolate our capabilities by seeing a relationship among heretofore unrelated concepts. We must remember that no single person, a group of people, or a certain civilization can claim the credit for inventing the scientific method. The method is slowly evolved through centuries. It may have started with cavemen using their stone tools.

Maybe the problem is the word science. The scientific method is nothing more than a process for discovering answers. While the name refers to “science,” this method of problem solving can be used for any type of problem. What we are doing as an investigator is solving a problem. The problem is knowing what caused the fire. There is a systematic approach, and that is what 921 calls the scientific method. Basically, the scientific method is nothing more than a systematic investigation.

For people unaccustomed to using the scientific method, some of those conducting fire investigations, the process may seem abstract and unapproachable. With a little consideration and observation, one will come to understand that any problem encountered in daily life is a potential possibility to use the scientific method.

I believe the problem in the understand as to the results developed through using the scientific method may be due to a misunderstanding because of the word science. Remember problem solving uses the same basic step as what is found in the scientific method. Problem solving is the act of defining a problem. Take this as an example:

1. Determining the problem. You have a stain on your shirt, and you want to remove it.
2. Collect Data. You collect data, such as what kind of stain, what is the material from which the shirt is made, and what is the color of the shirt.
3. Analyzing the data. What appears to be the cause of the stain. What does it look like? Does it have a smell? Have you been doing some type of action that would have cause this type of stain?
4. Develop a hypothesis for its removal. What material and method should work on removing the stain? How should the material be used?
5. Hypothesis. This process will remove the stain.
6. Testing the hypothesis. You follow the suggested method for removing the stain.
7. You analyze the results of the testing. You view the shirt after the cleaning process and find that the stain is no longer there.
8. Conclusion. The stain removal method worked.

Can one say using this problem solving method that the person hypothesis cannot be considered to be correct.

Jim Mazerat
Forensic Investigations Group