ABSTRACT
When you go into the laboratory to “do” science, you behave in a certain way. You start with some question about nature…what is the relationship between X and Y, why do all Z’s have A’s, etc. Based on your knowledge of the field and your reading of the current literature, you formulate a hypothesis that represents an answer to your question. Next, you devise an experiment to test your hypothesis. You prepare to do the experiment by designing an appropriate experimental protocol, and then you assemble or build the equipment that your experiment calls for. The techniques you decide to employ are most often based on the techniques that others have used in the research they have published. That done, you can actually do the experiment, repeating it as many times as is needed to gather all of the data you need. Finally, you analyze the data and decide if the results you obtained confirm your hypothesis. Then you start over again.
