Re-Imagining the Scientific Method

8/7/2019 Re-Imagining the Scientific Method

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Re-ImagInIng theScIentIfIc method

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contentS:

cRedItS

IntRodUctIon......................................................................................................3-4

SteP one: IdentIfy PatteRn/RoUtIne............................................5-6

fil gui...............................................................................................7-8

SteP tWo: PRoPoSe InteRventIon...................................................9-10

fil gui.............................................................................................11-12

SteP thRee: ImPLement InteRventIon.......................................12-14

SteP foUR: obSeRve ReactIon............................................................15-16

fil gui.............................................................................................17-18

SteP fIve: RePRodUce act.......................................................................19-20

fil gui.............................................................................................21-222

Re-ImagIne the ScIentIfIc method is the rst edition in aseries of pocket guides developed by the InStItUte foR

aPPLIed aeSthetIcS.

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Text and Design: Christopher Lee Kennedy© 2009 | InStItUte foR aPPLIed aeSthetIcS




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The scientic method is dened as a bodyof techniques for investigating phenomena,acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and

integrating previous knowledge. It is based on gathering observable, empirical and mea-

surable evidence subject to specic principles of rea-

soning. The scientic method follows a series of steps:(1) identify a problem you would like to solve, (2) formu-

late a hypothesis, (3) test the hypothesis, (4) collect andanalyze the data, (5) make conclusions.

WeLcome:

Question:Can we re-imagine this method to address emergingchallenges being faced by communities’ world-wide?And as equally important - What would such a methodlook like?

Let’s fnd out....



Do you remember your high school biology class,maybe chemistry or physics? Do you remember thoselabs and lab reports where you had to ll out proce-

dures and materials list, a hypothesis and experimen-

tal data? Most of us have used the scientic methodin one form or another. The scienticmethod is one of the Western World’s old-est problem-solving tools. Developed overthe centuries as a framework for scienticproof and investigation, it has helped mod-ern society develop a rigorous and uniform

approach to problem solving. However,with new challenges on the horizon asfar-reaching as climate change and asimmediate as the future of local food sys-tems, the scientic method may fall short inaddressing problems that are interdisciplin-ary and complex in nature. In response,the need for new and creative ways to dealwith the complex systems and relationalinterplay we live within is needed now more

than ever!

So what if we took something as universalas the scientic method and re-imaginedit to address problems we see everyday?The method as it’s organized now, is agreat model for small experiments in a lab,but here we are interested in using it to ad-dress challenges like social justice, sustain-ability or housing rights. Re-Imagining the

Scientifc Method attempts to do preciselythat, reframing the scientic method as tooland strategy for addressing problems inyour community, in your home, your schooland with your family.

How are we approaching this method dif-ferently? Well unlike the scientic method’slinear approach to problem solving, there-imagined method encourages a closed-loop systems model of participatory inves-tigation to address localized issues withinsituated communities. It’s a fresh way of

framing problem solving through directengagement, intervention and experimentalstrategy for continuity and reproducibility.Using the ve classical steps of the scien-tic method as reference, Re-Imaginingthe Scientifc Method suggests a prob-lem-solving strategy based on tactics thatencourage art, design and engagement asstrategies for critical observation, disruptionand experimentation in the public sphere.

And it is here our story starts: a re-imagina-tion of the scientic method as a tool forrecipricocity where environment, person,object and everything in-between encom-pass a methodology for legitimate involve-ment in and with the world. Ready?! Let’sget started…Follow along as we re-think each step of the method and think how itwould apply to your neighborhood, your

community or your school.

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IntRodUctIon

The Edible Estate Project by Artist Fritz Haeg providesopportunities for homeowners to transform their frontlawns into productive spaces for food, gardening andecological restoration. <www.edibleestates.org>



Open Loop System:

A system in which the out-puts may not feed back intothe an input function - A con-

trol system that lacks dy-

namic recipricocity.

The classical structure of the scienticmethod consists of 5 discrete steps: (1)state a problem, (2) develop a hypothesis,

(3) implement an experiment, (4) observeand collect data and nally (5) make a con-clusion based on these observations.

In this standard form, the method is mod-

eled as an open-loop system. A framework that may not be able to address many of the emergent problems facing communi-ties and students in real world situations.

In this framework, the method is static, forit does not allow for reciprocal engagementand the need to be inclusive of dynamicvariables such as bioregional characteris-tics, cultural contexts or social institutions.

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State yoUR

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concLUSIonmaKe a

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Closed Loop System:

A system in which eachcomponent is connectedto the next component withthe last component beingconnected to the originaldevice.

In response to the open-loop systeminherent within the conventional scientic

method model a closed loop framework isproposed to account for dynamic systemsvariables.

Within a closed-loop cycle one can es-tablish a means of transforming problemsolving into a responsive system, whereinquiry can attend to dynamic situationsand allow for participatory response andreproducibility.

For in this approach - authentic observa-tion, participation and experimentation canthrive where it’s needed most - in situatedcommunities where feedback is essential.

Follow this re-imagined model anddevelop your response to the needs ofyour community 8

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cLoSed LooP SyStem

SyStem dIagRam



Re-ImagIned

Identify a pattern or routinethat is destructiveecologically or socially.

conventIonaL

State your problem.

PatteRn oR RoUtIne

IdentIfy a



The rst step in the scientic method is typi-cally a problem statement. However, use thisrst step to think about destructive patterns inyour community - what’s going on around you?What needs to change and how can we includethe community in this process?

Get outside - start exploringand look closely for destructivepatterns in your community!Too many cars? Dogs not be-ing curbed? No access to local

food? Access to affordablehousing just ain’t a reality?

To re-imagine this rst step - focus yourproblem statement on local issues thataffect you and your community. Think hereabout your problem as patterns or routinesthat are destructive ecologically or sociallyto a your immediate surroundings.

Identifying patterns or routines that are of-ten overlooked by the very people that livein the neighborhood provides opportunitiesfor your investigation to encompass muchmore than mere problem solving. It tells astory of how people use space, communi-cate and interact as a community (or lack of one).

When we identify patterns - communitiescan then begin to visualize and address theunderlying systems that often contributeto these destructive patterns in everythingfrom politics, ecology or economics. In

another way, it offers opportunities foractual participation and engagement withthe communities of practice that need as-sistance the most.

OK, - so now its time to get started! To ini-

tiate this process conduct a series of eldstudies nearby places you visit and interactwith often. Setup camp, use a camera orjust observe. Look for patterns or routinesin person’s actions/behavior. Consider theoverall design of the community - identifywho the stakeholders are, look at the archi-tecture and buildings in the area.

Patterns can often times be very subtle or

rather obvious – encompassing everythingfrom an overowing trash can, a publicspace with too few benches, a smokestack or a series of fast food restaurants in thesame neighborhood.

The idea is to really harness observa-tion and engagement skills – to observeand identify a pattern in detail here. Yourgoal: to identify a systematic pattern and

routine that is negative toward a commu-nity or place. Don’t worry about being toocomplex, just watch closely and things willcome into focus more easily than you’d

Re-ImagIne:

8Art collective, the Learning Group, identies pat-terns and systems to develop many projects thatfocuses on the local conditions in which its artpractice is located. <www.learningsite.info>

SteP one



bRaInStoRm

actoRS/aRena

PatteRn oR RoUtIne

IdentIfy a

Use the eld study guide below to help oreint you in your re-imagined approach to thescientic method.

common PRobLem aReaS Identifynoticeable issues in your community.

PoSSIbLe PatteRnS Brainstormpossible patterns that you or your teamcan identify through eld study andobservations:

actoRS Identify the key persons or or-ganizations involved in your communityor place of observation:

aRenaS List the various spaces andarenas that may be effected by yourobserved pattern or routine.



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fIeLd StUdy:

LocatIon:

obSeRvatIonS + SKetch List andsketch noticeable events or evidencethat help identify a destructive routineor pattern:

ImPact What observable or possibleimpacts can you identify:

tIme:

SyStemS/actoRS What systems andactors are involved in your observations

Start your investigation with a few eld studies - record your observations below:

detaILS:

obSeRved PatteRn Clearly state yourobserved pattern or routine:

fReqUency+ImPact How often is thepattern occuring and what impactshave your observed:



Re-ImagIned

Propose an intervention thatwill address your identiedpattern or routine.

conventIonaL

Formulate a hypothesis.

InteRventIonPRoPoSe an

Photo: Charles Fordjour



The second step in the scientic method isto devise a hypothesis; to make a predictionabout how effective your solution to a statedproblem might be. Instead of a hypothesis -propose an intervention. An action that youcan take to address you’re observed pattern.

Now that you’ve identifed apattern - start brainstorm-ing possible solutions! Takea moment to think creatively.Get crazy, take a risk and think

about problem solving not asa chore or procedure but as anadventure!

Formulating a hypothesis is a great ap-proach for an experiment in a laboratorysetting, but not necessarily for problems inthe real world. To re-imagine this process,propose and begin to plan an interven-tion instead of a hypothesis in response

to the pattern or routine you observed. Anintervention is commonly a direct action, aresponse to a problem or condition. Inter-ventions are used because the systems inplace aren’t addressing the problem fastenough or at all.

To plan your proposed intervention, beginto look closely at the pattern or routine youobserved earlier and think about some of

the root causes or triggers of the problem.Start by diagramming your pattern. Ask yourself or team - where/when/how doesthe identied pattern happen? What actors

and arenas are involved? Interview and talk to community members, get their inputand ask them what they might do to xsome of the problems you’ve identied. A successful intervention will come from thecommunity it’s situated in!

Once you have a good diagram, begin tothink how you could change the situation.How could you stop some of these prob-lems or bring more attention to the issue?What are some direct or indirect actionsyou could take? And how? Think about thepower of art, design and other tools! Finally,sketch out some ideas to experiment with.Keep your intervention within scope andwithin limits of actual implementation. Yourintervention can encompass any numberof things – from setting up an informationbooth, to creating a community mural orsculpture, working with local businessesor communities to develop a program ora web-based project. Sketch out threeversions to be reviewed by peers or com-munity members and identify key partnersin the community you can outreach to forhelp and coordination.

Keep reading8

Re-ImagIne:

12The Danish art collective, N55, proposed in 2002a project called Shop. “SHOP enables persons toexchange things without the use of money.”<www.n55.dk>

SteP tWo



PLan + deveLoP

Use the eld study guide below to help oreint you in your re-imagined approach to thescientic method.

a ReSPonSe StRategy Now that youhave a pattern identied, plan anddevelop a response strategy:

PaRtneRShIP Locate possible partnersand collaborators here:

goaLS/obJectIveS List key objectivesin terms of priority here:

commUnIty InPUt What does yourcommunity think?

InteRventIonPRoPoSe an



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a concRete PLan

Key actoRS: List the key actors that willbe affected by your intervention:

docUmentatIon Develop a strategy fordocumentation and gathering data:

fInaL PLan: Develop a concrete proce-dure for your intervention here:

mateRIaLS/LogIStIcS Create a listof materials and other considerationsconcerning your intervention:

dURatIon: How long and at what fre-quency will the intervention occur?

oUtcomeS:

exPected oUtcomeS List yourexpected and desired outcomes here:



Re-ImagIned

Implement an interventionyou have designed to ad-

dress your pattern or routine.

conventIonaL

Experiment + Test yourhypothesis.

InteRventIonImPLement yoUR

Photo: Twice+Knit Series, Christopher Kennedy



The third step in the scientic method isexperimentation - a test of your hypothesis.Instead - implement your intervention, getoutside and engage your community, exper-iment with space and people.

This is the fun part - time fora real experiment! Time to ex-plore, time to observe, time toexperiment with the real world.Ready to get started? Let’s Go!

In this next step, re-imagine “experiment”

as an intervention - an action you can taketo create a change in your community. Tostart your intervention, get organized andstart hashing out a detailed plan.

Initial planning and preparation is of coursevery important, so rst be sure to taketime to plan and setup everything neededto implement your intervention includinga method to document the reaction and

a way to analyze the data you will be col-lecting.

Next, start drafting an outline of actionsbeing taken, create an agenda of theseactions, create a materials list and developa comprehensive implementation strategy.Make sure that you have permission toimplement your intervention, or that youhave a contingency plan if permission can-

not be granted. Your safety and those of your participants is crucial.

Once you have a concrete outline andknow what your intervention will encom-pass choose a date and location to beginyour “experiment”. Finally, contact yourcommunity partners, setup the logistics of your intervention and make some predic-tions about what may happen in the eld.

To retrieve usable data from this interven-tion, consider a range of trial and error tac-tics. Consider conducting your interventionmultiple times over a few weeks conductedin different spaces, at different times of theday and with varied populations dependingon your proposed action.

This step will require acute observation and

eld study skills to not only implement butalso analyze data and situations when ob-served. Make sure that documentation likevideo, photography and sound are takeninto consideration.

Once you have yourself set its time toimplement! Set your intervention into mo-tion and observe the reaction!

Re-ImagIne:

16The Future Farmers, an international art collective, initiatedtheir project: Victory Gardens in 2008: the transition of frontand back yards, window boxes, rooftops, and unused land intoorganic food production areas. <www.futurefarmers.com>

SteP thRee



Re-ImagIned

Observe the reaction fromyour Intervention.

conventIonaL

Collect and analyze data.

ReactIonobSeRve

Photo: Grapefruit Seeds, Christopher Kennedy



The fourth step in the scientic method is ob-

servation and data collection. In this re-imag-

ined method however, it’s all about gauging

the reaction of your intervention from local-ized community members. Did the interven-

tion work, if not, what went wrong or whatconditions may need to change?

Now its time to sit back andwatch things unfold. But that

doesn’t mean you’re off thehook yet! Proper observationis key - so keep both eyespeeled!

Interventions in a public space or in anuncontrolled environment can be a difcultthing to observe without being noticed orinuencing the reaction and behavior of participants. So the key to this aspect of

the Re-Imagined Method is to be discreetand have steps in place to be able torecord observations as objectively as pos-sible.

What one should be looking for is a seriesof reactions or changes in behavior thatyou can at least state was noticeableand worth documenting. For instance if you were to set up hidden speakers on

a sidewalk and play a series of soundsat different times, you could record howmany people pass, observe over timehow they react to each series of sounds

and begin to make observations. Did thesounds make the space better to be in,

did the sounds evoke a smile or merely aconfused look etc.? The sounds of per-haps a natural setting might not evoke anyreaction, but sounds of a baby laughing ora kitten purring would more likely create apositive change in the pattern of reactionsobserved.

The key to this step is to observe notice-able behavior patterns when they happen

and creating a comprehensive record of events. Consider documentation via pho-tography, video, sketching, note-taking andsound recording.

After you have observed these reactionsin several different spaces over differenttimes, its time to begin to analyze yourdata and actively consider commonalitiesand differences in reaction. Finally, you

can start devising conclusions to yourintervention considering, for instance, theintervention’s affectivity and its inuence onyour observed pattern or routine.

Re-ImagIne:

18Ecoart pioneers, the Harrisons, have been observing theeffects and possible outcomes of Climate Change in their 2008project entitled: Greenhouse Britain.

<www.theharrisonstudio.net>

SteP foUR



ReactIonobSeRve

InteRventIon data Sheet

Use the data sheets below to record the response to your intervention:

InteRventIon no.

LocatIon:

obSeRvatIonS + SKetch Recordresponses to your intervention here.Draw diagrams, sketches and notes.

tIme:



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data taLLy:

concLUSIonS + data taLLy

ImPact What observable or possibleimpacts did you identify:

PoSItIve oUtcomeS What wassuccessful during the intervention?

aLteRatIonS What didn’t work? Howcan the intervention strategy be alteredto improve response?

SyStemS/actoRS What systems andactors are involved in your observations

no. of InteRventIonS RaW data:

no. of PeRSonS InvoLved



Re-ImagIned

Devise a method to repro-

duce your intervention sothat others may use it.

conventIonaL

Make a conclusion.

the actRePRodUce

Photo: Cloud Parade, Caroline Woolard



The last step in the scientic method is tomake a conclusion. Although this is a logicalnext step, conclusions can be made whencollecting data. Instead re-imagine this next

step as an opportunity to create a reproduc-

ible strategy for your community to adopt.

Phew! Almost done. But nowthat you’ve setup your inter-vention, and saw what hap-pened - you’re not done quite

yet! This last step is the mostimportant because it’s meantto help others repeat whatyou’ve done. So take one morestep and help others do itagain!

The last step in the scientic method is tomake a conclusion. Although this is a logi-cal step, conclusions can be made in thedata collection step. A primary mechanismin real-world problem solving on a largescale is reproducibility. The success of yourintervention and overall problem solvingstrategy will depend upon it’s potential forothers to use. If situated communities can’treproduce it then you may need to rethink the approach, delivery and implementationof your intervention.

To develop a framework for reproductionrst outline the problem being addressedand the primary steps that were taken toimplement your intervention.

Next, create a checklist of materials andactions taken for your project. Translatethis information and create a set of direc-tions that are easy to follow for averagecommunity members. Make sure to deneyour assumptions and explain clearly thelocal conditions and the partnerships de-veloped to implement your intervention.

Now put all of the pieces together, creatinga report of steps taken, a procedure forreproduction and an analysis of results.If possible create a visual essay of yourintervention, using photographs to explaingraphically what pattern was being ad-dressed and how your intervention soughtto inuence this observation.

Finally, create a guide that can be used inthe future to address similar issues. Createan exhibition of your intervention and pres-ent this to local community members andorganizations that will use this guide in theirmission or educational endeavors.

(Last - but still important - share this meth-odology with others!)

Re-ImagIne:

22Chicago-based group, Temporary Services, pro-vides an archive of publications and descriptionsof projects available to the public.< www.temporaryservices.org>

SteP fIve



naRRatIve

oUtcome

Now that your intervention has been completed, record the steps you took to enact and

the resulting response so that it can be reproduced by others:

PatteRn oR RoUtIne State your rou-tine or pattern being addressed:

InteRventIon StRategy Describeyour intervention and response here:

mateRIaLS + SetUP Breiy list themajor materials and logisitical needs of your intervention here:

ReSULtS + ReactIonS What was theoverall response to the intervention?

PaRtneRS List partners or organiza-tions involved in the intervention:

the actRePRodUce



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PRocedURe:

InteRventIon tItLe:

LocatIon/tIme:

PRoJect deveLoPment

ImPLementatIon

obSeRvatIon and data

oUtcomeS

Create a step by step procedure of the development and implementation of yourintervention:

RecommendatIonS:

RecommendatIonS List recommenda-tions for improvement and reproductionof your intervention



Published by - The Institute for Applied Aesthetics a researchbased design studio progressing the understanding ofaethetics into applications and strategies for education andcreative problem solving.

Re-Imagining the Scientifc Method is a creative toolkit for real-world problem solvingwithin situated communities. Harnessing the historical framework of the scienticmethod, Re-Imagining the Scientifc Method facilitates an active and experiential ap-

proach to problem solving - providing a framework for citizens, artists and designers todevelop, implement and reproduce effective interventions that address emerging socio-cultural issues.

The guide encourages exploration outside of the lab, outside of the classroom and intoreal-world situations that affect local communities - crafting a framework for affective in-tervention and reproduction. Perfect for High School and College teachers - Re-Imagin-ing the Scientifc Method is a guide for creative strategies for real-world problem solving.

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Re-Imagining the Scientific Method