Is scientific method is the key to all discoveries and advances in science?

Science is something people do, as contrasted with scientific discoveries, scientific theories and scientific applications, which are science's products. There are recognized elements in scientific inquiry. These include formulating questions, posing hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing data, developing theories and then testing those theories against emerging data. Scientific method involves an interplay between data and the conclusions to be drawn from those data. However, not just any interplay qualifies as science. The analysis must be reasoned, rigorous and empirically sound. The core and defining characteristic is the method by which this is done.