P L E A S E The goal of the scientific method is to
A.
research what others have done
B.
test to see whether or not the data supports your hypothesis
C.
share your hypothesis before you test it
D.
predict what you think the solution to your problem is

Regardless of how the steps are documented, the goal of scientific method is to gather data that will validate or invalidate a cause and effect relationship.

Explanation:

Genetic variation can be caused by mutation (which can create entirely new alleles in a population), random mating, random fertilization, and recombination between homologous chromosomes during meiosis (which reshuffles alleles within an organism's offspring).