The Scientific Method as Myth and Ideal

The Scientific Method as it has been portrayed in popular and introductory contexts has been declared a myth. The variation that one finds in introductory presentations of The Scientific Method is explained by the fact that there is no canonical account among historians and philosophers of science. What, in particular, is wrong with The Scientific Method? This essay provides a fairly comprehensive survey of shortcomings of The Scientific Method. Included are corrections to several misconceptions that often accompany such presentations. Rather than treating The Scientific Method as a useful approximation or an ideal, the myth should be discarded. Lessons can be learned for introductory pedagogical contexts from considering the shortcomings of the myth.