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Re: Scientific Method
Posted by:
J L Mazerat (IP Logged)
Date: April 05, 2022 09:11AM
First of all, I am one of the individuals you can blame for the seventh step method. Originally the idea was to give seven different steps that will tell the person what takes place from beginning to end in the investigation methodology. The first two steps were to say you start here what an event takes place and then you need to plan what you’re going to do before you try to do something. Then as to the wording for each section it was picked from several different locations.
You are right steps four through eight are the meat of the bones. When I am explaining to the trier a fact the scientific method, I do tend to use the first two. The example I get is walking across the street where there’s traffic. The first step is that you want to cross the street. The second step is what do I need to do to make a good decision as to how I cross the street. Third is through your visual observation as to what the traffic is like in the size of the street that they need to cross. Then they analyze what day you're visualizing determine a possibility as to how it can be done. Next, they test this idea by watching the traffic flow and comparing it to the idea they are going to use to cross the street. During the testing process in their minds, they analyze which will be the most effective way to cross the street. Based on this analyzation, they choose a conclusion as to how they will cross the street. I know this sounds simple, but what I use it for is the show the jury that they use this every day and that is not something special for scientist. This example was one of the ones discussed by the members of the committee back in 1987 when was decided that the scientific method was what was going to be suggested as a methodology for conducting an investigation.
Jim Mazerat
Forensic Investigations Group