ONSCIENTIFIC METHOD ( Part 1)by Percy W. Bridgman It seemsto me that there is a good deal of ballyhoo about scientific method. Scientificmethod is what working scientists do, not what other people or even theythemselves may say about it. No working scientist, when he plans an experimentin the laboratory, asks himself whether he is being properly scientific, nor ishe interested in whatever method he may be using as method. Scientificmethod is something talked about by people standing on the outside andwondering how the scientist manages to do it. These people have been able touncover various generalities applicable to at least most of what the scientistdoes, but these generalities are not very profound, and could have beenanticipated by anyone who know enough about scientists to know what is theirprimary objective.I think that the objectives of all scientistshave this in common--that they are all trying to get the correct answer to the particularproblem in hand. This may be expressed in more pretentious language as thepursuit of truth. Now if the answer to the problem is correct there must besome way of knowing and proving that it is correct--the very meaning of truthimplies the possibility of checking or verification.