Question

Why is scientific inquiry a process with many paths not a rigid sequence of steps?

Answer 1

Scientific inquiry process discusses to the varied means in which scientists study the natural world and suggest clarifications founded on the evidence derived from their work.  Since there are many different kinds of problems that science can address, and the "scientific method" that's taught in class isn't appropriate for every type of investigation because different questions may require different approaches to finding answers. That’s why scientists custom-build the procedures (like a process with many parts) they will use depending on the unique challenges of the problem they are trying to solve.