Scientific Technique

A scientific technique is any systematic way of obtaining information about a scientific nature or to obtain a desired material or product.

Scientific techniques can be divided in many different groups, e.g.:

  1. Preparative techniques
    1. Synthesis techniques, e.g. the use of Grignard reagents in organic chemistry
    2. Growth techniques, e.g. crystal growth or cell cultures in biology
    3. Purification techniques e.g. those in chemistry
  2. Measurement techniques
    1. Analysis techniques, e.g. ones that reveal atomic or molecular composition.
    2. Characterization techniques, e.g. ones that measure a certain property of a material.
    3. Imaging techniques, e.g. microscopy

In some cases these methods have evolved into instrumental techniques that require expensive equipment. This is particularly true in sciences like physics, chemistry, and astronomy. It is customary to abbreviate the names of techniques into acronyms, although this does not hold for all of them. Particularly the advent of the computer has led to a true proliferation in the number of techniques to the point that few scientists still have a good overview over all that is available. See, for example, the list of materials analysis methods and Category:Scientific techniques.

Read more about Scientific Technique:  See Also

Famous quotes containing the words scientific and/or technique:

    “There is one great fact, characteristic of this our nineteenth century, a fact which no party dares deny. On the one hand, there have started into life industrial and scientific forces which no epoch of former human history had ever suspected. On the other hand, there exist symptoms of decay, far surpassing the horrors recorded of the latter times of the Roman empire. In our days everything seems pregnant with its contrary.”
    —Karl Marx (1818–1883)

    “Every notable advance in technique or organization has to be paid for, and in most cases the debit is more or less equivalent to the credit. Except of course when it’s more than equivalent, as it has been with universal education, for example, or wireless, or these damned aeroplanes. In which case, of course, your progress is a step backwards and downwards.”
    —Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)