1. DESIGNING INVESTIGATIONS
HOW TO CREATE AN INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCH PRACTICAL.

2. Why do we do scientific investigations?
The answer is simple. Scientific investigations help us to:
Explain an event or
Answer a question.
This is important to remember as, if your design does not accomplish either of these… it will not be considered as a working practical.

3. Step 1: The Aim
The Aim is not to be confused with the title and it has a clear function:
¨To define (without ambiguity) the purpose or goal of the experiment you wish to perform¨.
The aim should be short, precise and make reference to the proposed relationship between the independent and dependent variables.
EXAMPLE: TO DETERMINE IF X AFFECTS Y.
N:B: To determine… not ´´find out´´, not ´´see´´ and DEFINITELY NEVER, EVER, EVER…. ¨to prove¨

4. Step 2: The Hypothesis
The hypothesis exists to allow you to make a logical prediction about what you will observe throughout the course of the experiment.
It should be impersonal (3rd person), it shoud be clear, it should explain the relationship between the independent and dependent variable and it should be based on research.
¨It is believed that X will affect Y because….¨
¨It is believed that X will not affect Y because….¨

5. Step 3: The Variables
There are three variables that you need to be aware of:
The independent: what you will change. [X]
The dependent: what you will measure. [Y]
Why you chose these two variables does not need to be explained here (you have already done this in your hypothesis).
The controlled: any other relevant factors that could alter your results. (there should be a mínimum of three for any practical).
CONTROLS MUST BE JUSTIFIED!!... In other words you must explain why you chose to control them (how would they otherwise affect the results? How are they to be controlled?)

6. Step 4: Materials. FOLLOW THE 100 PERSON RULE.
Imagine you were teaching a group of 100 people to bake a cake. Each person working on their own, located in a separate roomand each person with their own set of ingredients...
If you give them each a shopping list which simply reads: eggs, flour, butter, milk, sugar etc… Would you expect everyone to bring EXACTLY the same amount and type of ingredients? How could you amend your shopping list to prevent such basic errors from occurring?

7. Step 5: The Method.
The method must allow for the collection of sufficient, relevant and reliable data (quantitative!) to allow you to achieve the aim of the experiment.
FOLLOW THE 100 PERSON RULE. Just as before, if you give vague instructions to your baking students (even if they all have the same equipment) they may make mistakes that could ruin the result. Each method must be made up of short step by step instructions that leave no room for error by the person reading them.
N.B: If you have your controlled variables identified… you must also include the instructions on how you will control them here in the method.

8. Step 6: The Results Table.
The results table must be neat and drawn in pencil.
It must have a title. ¨RESULTS TABLE¨ IS NOT A TITLE.
It must have appropriate labels/headings.
It must include appropriate units for all the data types to be collected.
Each measured unit must come with a specified uncertainty.
You MUST include some qualitative data to supplement your findings.
As you have collected raw quantitative data you should then decide how it needs to be processed (averages/ statistical analysis etc). It must then be converted into an appropriate graph. (neat, with its own title etc).

9. The Conclusion.
Once you have analysed your recorded information you need to make a clear statement on whether your data actually supports the hypothesis you initially made. Do not worry if it doesn´t… it´s still perfectly okay.
Use examples from your recorded data to provide evidence for your conclusion. Don´t simply state ´as the data table shows´…. You´re leaving it up to the examiner to then find and review the data themselves. Instead make clear reference to the important data that led you to your conclusión. Try to provide an explanation for the results….even if you disagree with them.

10. The Evaluation.
The evaluation is for the designed method. What mistakes were made here? Were the materials incorrect? Were some of the instructions unclear? You need to refer to anything that you feel might have influenced your results and given you unreliable data. Comment on how reliable you believe the data to be.
If you made a mistake then had to redo the experiment… but did it perfectly and obtained reliable results. Do you have to write about the mistake in the final evaluation?
It is a good idea to look back at the controlled variables. Were they properly controlled? Were there other factors that should have been controlled as well? A table is a good idea here.
Make recommendations about futher investigations.
DON´T SAY YOU´LL BE MORE ORGANISED OR NEEDED MORE TIME!!!!