Read the passage.
A science newsletter describes how students in an evening biology class tested a simple explanation involving algae on shaded pond stones. It states that the first result looked promising but came from only one location. The writer says the result may be connected to differences in light and heat. The source adds that the method was consistent because the same steps were used each time. Because the sample was small, the conclusion remains limited. One volunteer arrived by bus.
In the passage, the word "consistent" most nearly means:
