ABSTRACT
This chapter clarifies the nature of the scientific method. The term 'scientific method' denotes the logical structure of the process by which the search for trustworthy knowledge advances. The chapter discusses the problem of induction, a famous (or infamous) philosophical problem which lies at the heart of all rational attempts to make sense of the world. It demonstrates that certain widely held beliefs concerning the distinctive character of the scientific approach are, when viewed in the light of our discussion of induction, properly labelled as misunderstandings or at best as half-truths. The chapter focuses on the work of Karl Popper, and presents an account of scientific methodology in which inductive reasoning, though by no means eliminated, plays a role that is not problematical. It highlights Popper's principle of falsifiability, and shows how the modern fallibilist approach can be put to good use in geographical research.
