Question: what do you do when you are doing a investigation

Lizzie Eaves answered on 21 Jun 2012:

Well there are several different steps that I take. To start with, I’ll do some reading around the area that I’m looking into – either in textbooks, or things called ‘journals’, which are where scientists publish their findings. When I’ve found out some background information and what other people have done similar to my ideas, I’ll discuss my ideas with my professor then start to work out how I’m going to make my materials. Once I’ve ordered in all the chemicals and equipment I need, I’ll get on with the work! Sometimes I need to use new techniques I’ve not done before, so I occasionally need a few attempts to get it right.
One all the materials are made, I’ll do the testing on it. I’ll have already decided what testing methods I’m going to use during my reading/planning.
The final part of the investigation is to discuss my findings with my professor and work out what they mean – if they’re really good then the results can be published in a journal that someone else might use before one of their own investigations!