Setting Standards for Gathering Data
In
scientific research, scientists set standards (protocols) for
how they make observations, measurements, and otherwise collect
data so there is uniformity and their investigations are "fair."
If they fail to do so, they can't readily recognize patterns,
make accurate comparisons or generalizations, or have confidence
in their results, and other scientists can't repeat the study.
Here are some questions you might ask as you prepare to gather data:
In classroom or schoolyard research, you might decide to establish measurement standards up front or let students discover the need to do so (with your guidance and questions) as they try to make sense of the data they collected. Gathering Data Links |