• Question: What is the best way to reasearch?

    Asked by sammieblues to David, Luna, Mark, Melanie, Probash on 21 Mar 2011 in Categories: . This question was also asked by kathanhal.
    • Photo: Mark Vesey

      Mark Vesey answered on 20 Mar 2011:

      I think that depends on the subject and the person doing the research – everyone is different and so they need to make a decision themselves on what will suit them best.

    • Photo: David Pyle

      David Pyle answered on 20 Mar 2011:

      This really will depend on the area that you are researching. But very simply, the best way to research is:
      – to be aware of everything that has been written on the topic (by reading the published scientific papers on the topic);
      – to have a working hypothesis (your idea, and your expectations of how it would apply to the topic);
      – to design an experiment to test whether the predictions of the working hypothesis are consistent with the observations, both new and old.
      Then repeat the loop again, with a modified hypothesis..

    • Photo: Luna Munoz

      Luna Munoz answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Any way you please! I never use only one method. For example, when I study emotions, I ask people how they feel, I study the activity of their heart – how and when it contracts- their sweating, I look at what parts of an emotional face or body language they look at, and I look at whether they know what emotions look like. I think that as long as you acknowledge that each of these has advantages and disadvantages, then you ensure that interpretations don’t go beyond what these methods can actuallly tell us.

    • Photo: Melanie Stefan

      Melanie Stefan answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Think of an idea, then think about how it could be tested. Check what work people have done in the field before – you don’t want to be repeating work that has already been done (or mistakes that have already been made). Procure the necessary equipment and knowledge (or find colleagues who have the necessary equipment and knowledge). Run the tests. (It is important to think not only of experiments that might support your hypothesis, but also of experiments that might contradict it). If they do not agree with the hypothesis, revise the hypothesis. Start again … If it works out, write up and publish the results (other people don’t want to repeat work that has already been done) Then move on to the next question.

    • Photo: Probash Chowdhury

      Probash Chowdhury answered on 21 Mar 2011:

      Find a topic you are interested in, find as much background about it as you can (what work has been done before, what work is going on now what work needs to be done etc) and as you research (background work or practical) just keep asking questions (why did that happen/not happen, what happens if… etc)

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