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Endnote Tutorials
Writing a testable hypothesis
1. Idea
CHEM 294
2. Research
3. Hypothesis
4. Plan
5. Experiment
6. Analysis
Due today
294: Project Idea
7. Reflection
8. Sharing
Reading: Questions Drive Research
Respond to the following questions:
1. Why is formulating questions essential to the learning process as well as to the process of conducting research?
2. After brainstorming questions, what is the next step in organizing a research project?
3. How do actions follow from generating questions?
Your desk lamp does not turn on when you flick the switch Generate four questions you might ask as part of problem solving
h"p://www.heals.co.uk/content/ebiz/heals/invt/636316/636316_l.jpg
Process of doing research
1.  Ask questions-­‐‑ Don’t censor, just get your ideas out
2.  Organize questions into categories, priorities, and logical flow
3.  Develop work plan that directly follows your organized questions
4.  Execute your work plan.
Brainstorm Questions
Organize Thoughts
Create Work Plan
Execute Experiments
Brainstorm Questions
h"p://www.adpr.co.uk/blog/wp-­‐‑content/uploads/2014/06/Brainstorming.jpg
Brainstorm Questions
h"p://api.ning.com/files/
Brainstorm Questions
Organize Thoughts
Create Work Plan
Execute Experiments
Organize Ideas
h"p://i.bnet.com/blogs/brainstorming.jpg
Brainstorm Questions
Organize Thoughts
Create Work Plan
Execute Experiments
Generate Work Plan
“A workplan should not be viewed as a formality for documenting the work to be undertaken. Instead, making a workplan is a process of formulating a strategy for carrying out the research in a systematic way”
-­‐‑ The Art of Being a Scientist Ch 5
Work Plan Guidelines
Be sure work plan is consistent with goals of project and include:
1.  An ordered list of activities
2.  Indication of how activities are related (to each other and the goal)
3.  A deliverable and timeline for each activity
Brainstorm Questions
Organize Thoughts
Create Work Plan
Execute Experiments
Agree or disagree
“Your quality as a researcher depends primarily in your ability to ask the right questions, but that can happen only if you pose lots of questions, many of which will subsequently be disgarded. ”
-­‐‑  The Art of Being a Scientist Ch 5
Brainstorm Questions
Organize Thoughts
Create Work Plan
Execute Experiments
Writing a testable hypothesis
1. Idea
CHEM 294
2. Research
3. Hypothesis
4. Plan
5. Experiment
6. Analysis
1.  Question or idea
2.  Preliminary observations
3.  Hypothesis Predicted relationship between variables
1.  Experiments designed to test hypothesis
7. Reflection
8. Sharing
Levels of Certainty and Understanding
Observations-­‐‑ Observation of something happening
Hypothesis-­‐‑ Tentative explanation of why something happens
Laws-­‐‑ Hypotheses supported with extensively supported
Describes the way nature operates under a specified set of conditions
Theories-­‐‑ Description of how nature works under a specified set of conditions and why
Hypothesis explore relationships between variables
•  Independent variable is the one you control
•  Dependent variable is the one you measure
Absorbance (arb.)
2.0
1.5
Red #40
1.0
0.5
0.0
300
400
500
600
700
wavelength (nm)
800
Components of a Testable Hypothesis
Hypothesis is a tentative explanation or prediction concerning some phenomena that can be tested.
Educated Guess
•
•
•
•
•
Exploratory
Testable
Reproducible
Predictive
Tentative
Observations & Experimentation
Prediction
Hypothesis
Explanation
Examples of Testable Hypotheses Predicted relationship between two variables
If-­‐‑ proposed testable relationship
Then-­‐‑ prediction of results Because-­‐‑ why result is expected
•  If skin cancer is related to ultarviolet light, then people with high exposure to UV light will have a higher frequency of skin cancer.
•  If eighth grades girls take wri"en quizzes, then they will receive significantly higher grades than eighth grade boys because eighth grade girls have be"er writing skills.
•  If leaf color changes is related to temperature, then exposing plants to low temperatures will result in changes in leaf color.
Pose a testable hypothesis for popcorn
h"p://www.packworld.com
h"ps://encrypted-­‐‑tbn0.gstatic.com/
Three steps to a Strong Testable Hypothesis
1.  General hypothesis-­‐‑ state the general relationship between major variables.
2.  Directional hypothesis-­‐‑ refines general hypothesis by adding a direction to the relationship.
3.  Measureable hypothesis-­‐‑ refines directional hypothesis by making it testable.
If… Then… Because
Tip: Pose your hypothesis in such a way that if it fails, it still tells you something important.
h"p://iqa.evergreenps.org/science/resources/hypotheses/3-­‐‑step-­‐‑hypothesis-­‐‑writing.html
Example: DO and fish lice
1. General hypothesis-­‐‑ state the general relationship between major variables.
Water levels affect the amount of lice suffered by rainbow trout.
2. Directional hypothesis-­‐‑ refines general hypothesis by adding a direction to the relationship.
Rainbow trout suffer more lice when water levels are low.
3. Measureable hypothesis-­‐‑ refines directional hypothesis by making it testable.
“If water levels are low then Rainbow trout will suffer more lice because there is less oxygen in the water.”
h"p://iqa.evergreenps.org/science/resources/hypotheses/3-­‐‑step-­‐‑hypothesis-­‐‑writing.html
Writing a hypothesis
h"p://iqa.evergreenps.org/science/resources/hypotheses/3-­‐‑step-­‐‑hypothesis-­‐‑writing.html
Stating a testable hypothesis for your research
•
•
•
•
•
Exploratory
Testable
Reproducible
Predictive
Tentative
Encourage piracy to cool the earth! Yar!
h"p://www.forbes.com/sites/erikaandersen/2012/03/23/true-­‐‑fact-­‐‑the-­‐‑lack-­‐‑of-­‐‑pirates-­‐‑is-­‐‑causing-­‐‑global-­‐‑warming/
Correlation and Causation
cum hoc ergo propter hoc
“with this, therefore because of this”
Questionable cause logical fallacy
The correlation of two variables does not mean that one causes the other.
h"p://xkcd.com/552/
Correlation and Causation
h"p://www.latimes.com/business/hilmik/la-­‐‑fi-­‐‑mh-­‐‑see-­‐‑correlation-­‐‑is-­‐‑not-­‐‑causation-­‐‑20140512-­‐‑column.html
Lab today (Mar 9)
Literature searching
Computer Lab (REIC 172)
What to do:
1.  Discuss any questions from your reading with your mentor.
2.  Continue discussing and lit searching to refine your project idea.
3.  Finish project idea b the end of lab and turn it in.