Empirical method
Empirical methods are the means by which scientists gather information about the world in order to develop
theories. These include
experiment, disclosure for
peer review, and other ways in which theories are assessed by scientists. The term
quasi-empirical methods evolved to describe aspects of the
scientific method which are not amenable to
disproof by experiment. These are now widely recognized to constitute much of what is loosely called 'scientific consensus', as some theories are not amenable to direct experimental invalidation, or indeed controlled experiment.
See also:
hypothetico-deductive method.