The strategy whereby a study compares two or more reasonable hypotheses or methods. Although it goes back to a paper published by T. C. Chamberlin in 1890 (reprinted in Chamberlain 1965), it is used 
 occasionally in the social sciences. Results are often not meaningful in absolute terms, so the value of an approach (or theory) should be judged relative to current practice or to the next best method (or theory).&nbsp; <o:p></o:p></P>
 <ul>
   <li><SPAN </P>Chamberlain, T. C. (1965), “The method of multiple 
working hypotheses,” <I>Science</I>, 148, 754-759.</SPAN></li>
 </ul>