The Scientific Method

To make sure that Birds in Forested Landscapes is a scientifically valid project, it is important to apply the scientific method.

Here are the steps we follow:

• Choose a question to study
How does habitat fragmentation affect the breeding success of forest birds in the U.S. and Canada?
• Restate the question as a hypothesis that can be tested

A given species is more likely to breed successfully in large patches of forest than in small ones.

• Gather unbiased data
This is your job! Some special-interest groups criticize volunteer-collected data, alleging a lack of rigor, so it is especially important that you follow the instructions carefully.

• Perform statistical tests
This is our job. We'll perform the appropriate test to confirm or reject the hypothesis. Are the trends real or could they be the result of chance variation?

• Interpret results
This is our job. We'll calculate whether the chance of a species breeding successfully in a given area increases with forest patch size.

• Devise new hypotheses
Develop studies based on new questions that emerge from analyses of the results.

• Report results
It's important to get the word out about your findings and to share information with others.

Finally, remember that all carefully collected data—indicating presence or absence and breeding success—are valuable, whether they confirm or reject our expectations. Scientific results can often be unpredictable, and that unpredictability is what makes science exciting.