Match the following:

List-I (Characteristics of Scientific methods)	List-II (Attributes)
(A) Replicability	(I) A hypothesis to be proven wrong
(B) Precision	(II) Independent researchers arriving at the same results
(C) Falsifiability	(III) Selecting most simple explanation
(D) Parsimony	(IV) How close are measurements of the same item

Codes:
(A) (B) (C) (D)

Correct option is B

The scientific method is defined by a set of rigorous principles that ensure findings are objective, verifiable, and logical; the correct matching is Replicability to Independent results, Precision to Consistent measurements, Falsifiability to Being proven wrong, and Parsimony to Simple explanations.
Information Booster
· Replicability (A – II): This is the "acid test" of science. It means that if another independent researcher follows the same procedures and methods under similar conditions, they should arrive at the same results. It ensures that findings are not just a "one-time" fluke.
· Precision (B – IV): In a scientific context, precision refers to the consistency and reproducibility of measurements. It describes how close multiple measurements of the same item are to each other. Even if the measurements are not "accurate" (close to the true target), they are "precise" if they are consistently clustered together.

· Falsifiability (C – I): Proposed by Karl Popper, this principle states that a statement or hypothesis is only scientific if it is possible to conceive of an observation or an argument which could prove it wrong. If a theory cannot be tested or refuted, it falls into the realm of pseudoscience.
· Parsimony (D – III): Also known as Occam’s Razor, this principle dictates that when a researcher has multiple competing hypotheses that explain a phenomenon equally well, they should select the simplest explanation—the one that makes the fewest unnecessary assumptions.
Additional Knowledge
Understanding why these attributes are distinct helps in mastering research methodology:
· Precision vs. Accuracy: While precision (IV) focuses on the closeness of measurements to each other, accuracy focuses on how close a measurement is to the actual or "true" value. A scale that always weighs you as 5kg lighter is precise (consistent) but not accurate.
· Logical Positivism vs. Falsifiability: Earlier scientists believed in "Verification" (proving things true). However, science shifted to Falsifiability because you can never observe every single instance to prove a universal truth (e.g., "All swans are white"), but you only need to find one black swan to disprove it.
· Parsimony in Educational Models: When explaining student behavior, if "lack of sleep" (simple) explains a drop in grades as well as "complex subconscious trauma" (complex), the principle of parsimony directs us to investigate the simpler cause first.