The scientific method allows scientists to study various phenomena by testing their assumptions built from observations of the surrounding world. As a result of exploring and attempting to explain the world, a scientific method process used by researchers was formed. It includes such steps as exploration through observation and questioning and testing hypotheses and predictions and their verification through experiments or additional observations. Despite the benefit and clarity of the scientific method, readers should still critically evaluate the information presented in articles.
Scientific articles often address current problems of concern to society. For instance, an article serving as a secondary source and presented in The Economist describes a study testing measures for HIV prevention among young African women (G.C.). The original study was published by Baird et al. in the scientific journal The Lancet. In this work, the use of the scientific method is clearly traced. The authors observed that African women are forced to date and marry older men to ensure their own well-being, but such relationships contribute to the spread of HIV (Baird et al. 1320). The researchers hypothesized that providing additional financial assistance to young women would change their lives and not be forcing them to marry older men. Baird et al. conducted a randomized cluster trial to test their hypothesis. They held an experiment providing an additional income to a group of unmarried African women. As a result, the hypothesis was confirmed – financial independence reduced the incidence of HIV.
When critically evaluating an article, it is worth noting that it has many advantages that testify to its reliability. In particular, its authors have Ph.D. degrees; the study was conducted under the auspices of The World Bank and published in a peer-reviewed journal (Baird et al. 1320). The authors acknowledge that the article has some limitations, and further research is needed to clarify the findings. However, their experiment has shown results and could be a critical step in reducing the prevalence of the disease.