There has been renewed discussion of the scientific method, with many voices arguing that it presents a very limited or even wholly incorrect image of the way science is really done. At the same time, the idea of a scientific method is pervasive. This article identifies the scientific method as a simple model for the process of scientific inquiry. A more sophisticated model is briefly described and then used to analyze an inquiry-based exercise. The use of such new and empirically based models for the scientific inquiry process may assist instructors and developers of science learning materials. (Contains 2 figures.)