Introduction to Scientific Research

Scientific research is how scientists ask and answer the questions of how the world works. Scientists today use high-tech methodologies to research those questions, but the most basic steps for scientific research derive from a simple scientific method followed by scientists around the world.

Ask a Question

What do you want to know? All scientific research starts with clarifying the question.

Perform Background Research

What have other scientists already discovered about this question? Was that research performed well? In order to move forward, you must know what has already been done and what their results were.

Form a Hypothesis

A hypothesis is a suggested answer to your question and must be measurable in some way.

Perform an Experiment and Collect Data

All hypotheses in scientific research require testing. A well-designed experiment must include an appropriate sample size, controls, blinds where necessary, and a plan for statistical analyses of the data.

Analyze Results and Draw Conclusions

Scientific research requires a statistical analysis of collected data. Conclusions must then be drawn based on these analyses and the background research performed earlier.

Report Results

Once a scientist draws conclusions those results, whether positive or negative, must be reported to the scientific community. This action allows other scientists to repeat the experiments to either confirm or disprove the results.

Resources

• Scientific Method