Offering guidance on doing experiments, this Little Quick Fix will help students select the most appropriate experiment for their research, ensure their experiment is ethical and reproducible, minimise error and collect and record their data.
Students conducting experiments for the first time run the risk of either over-simplifying it by neglecting important considerations, or over-complicating it as they get intimidated by the thought of designing and orchestrating reliable tests. This LQF will help students get it just right from initial idea to design to collection.
Each section answers a key question, in an order that ensures students can advance swiftly, while also being able to re-visit the fundamental:
· Section 1: What is an experiment?
· Section 2: Why do I need to do an experiment for my research?
· Section 3: What types of experiment are there?
· Section 4: How do I ensure my experiment is ethically appropriate?
· Section 5: How do I make my experiment repeatable?
· Section 6: How do I minimise error?
· Section 7: What types of data should I be collecting in an experiment?
· Section 8: How do I collect and record data in an experiment?