Method.
the recognized standard means of inquiry used by research scientists is

The answer is scientific method.

Explanation:

The Scientific Method:

The Scientific Method is the standard process of experimentation and inquiry used to test hypothesis and answer scientific questions.

Every scientific question requires a specific form of the scientific method, with the variations ranging from the scope of the hypothesis to the experimental design and data analysis methods.

The steps of the scientific method are as follows:

1. Observation/Question

2. Hypothesis

3. Experimentation

4. Data analysis

5. Conclusion

The conclusion includes analysing the results and developing further hypotheses and testing them. If the hypothesis remains irrefutable, it becomes a theory. If the theory remains irrefutable after rigorous experimentation in various studies by multiple scientists, the theory becomes a law.