Why is experimental research the best way to evaluate research skills?

1 What is experimental research?

Experimental research is a type of research that aims to establish causal relationships between variables by controlling and manipulating one or more factors (called independent variables) and measuring their effects on another factor (called dependent variable). For example, if you want to test how different types of music affect your concentration, you can randomly assign participants to listen to classical, rock, or no music while performing a task, and compare their scores. The type of music is the independent variable, and the score is the dependent variable.

3 How to design your own experiment?

Designing your own experiment requires following some basic steps. Firstly, you need to define your research problem and formulate a question. Then, review the literature to identify gaps or contradictions that you want to address. After that, create a hypothesis based on your literature review and logical reasoning. You also need to choose variables, experimental design, sampling method, data collection method, and data analysis method. Variables should be operationalized in measurable terms. The type of experiment could be between-subjects, within-subjects, or mixed design. Sampling methods include random sampling, convenience sampling, or stratified sampling. Data collection methods could involve questionnaires, tests, or observations. Finally, you need to select a data analysis method such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, or qualitative methods and determine the software or tools you will use for the analysis.

4 How to conduct your own experiment?

Conducting your own experiment requires you to obtain ethical approval from your institution or organization if it involves human or animal participants, and to follow the ethical guidelines and principles for research. Additionally, you need to prepare and test your materials and equipment, such as questionnaires, tests, stimuli, or devices. It is also essential to recruit and inform your participants about the purpose, procedure, and risks of your experiment, as well as obtaining their informed consent and demographic information. When running the experiment, you should adhere to your experimental design while ensuring the safety and comfort of your participants. Finally, debriefing your participants after the experiment is necessary in order to explain the rationale, hypothesis, and results of the experiment, and address any questions or concerns they may have.

5 How to improve your experimental research skills?

To improve your experimental research skills, practice and learn from your experience and feedback. Reading and critiquing existing experiments can help you evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. Seeking guidance and collaboration from instructors, mentors, peers, or experts is also beneficial. Exploring different topics and methods that interest or challenge you can help you design experiments with various techniques and tools. Finally, reflecting and revising your experiment based on results and findings can help you identify errors, biases, or limitations that may have affected it.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?