Conduct Your Own Research
Scientific inquiry
Scientific inquiry is a powerful educational tool, allowing each of
us to experience the scientific method as a dynamic process. We learn
that science is not some magical process, but actually an everyday one
in which systematic steps are taken to answer questions. We also learn
that discovery and "Learning as you go" are important elements of
scientific inquiry.
The scientific process
The following steps describe the basic methods you can follow to find answers to your own questions:
- Observe natural processes until you think you see a pattern in the events you are observing.
- Define questions to investigate based on your observations. These questions often arise from becoming familiar with research done by other scientists and citizen scientists.
- Develop hypotheses (testable guesses) to try to answer your questions.
- Systematically collect and analyze information (data) to test your hypotheses.
- Look at the results and come to conclusions about whether your hypotheses are correct (supported or not supported). Often, you'll find you have more questions based on what you have observed.
This concept map shows the scientific process in action.
More information:
For more information and materials on conducting your own research projects, go to the Student Research section of the Educator's Guide to Bird Study web site.