1. Research & Research Report
• You will work in groups to complete original
research which can consist of an experiment or
a field study.

2. An Experiment
• In an experiment, you must have a clear
research question. For example, does sugar
and candy make kids hyper? To answer your
question, you will have an experimental
situation or a group and a control situation or
group. In the experimental situation or group,
you apply the treatment, whereas in the
control situation or group, there will be no
treatment.

3. Experimenting with Electricity

4. Procedure of Experiment
• The treatment may consist of a substance that
is eaten or drunk, exercise, special behaviour
or any other special treatment.
• You then compare the experimental situation
or group to the control situation or group
during or after the treatment.

5. A Field Study
• In a field study, you will study a situation to
understand how it changes and develops. In a
field study, you must identify a clear point of
focus, a research question. What exactly are
you observing? For example, what are
Quebecers’ attitudes to immigrants? Or, which
gender has a better short term memory?

6. Take a closer look at what IS

7. Your Report
• Your Report: You and your partners will write
a report about your research. This report must
be detailed enough that anyone could replicate
your research. It should consist of AT LEAST
500 words. The main parts of your report will
be:

8. The Introduction
• What are you studying?
• What motivated your research?
• Why is this research worthwhile?
• If you have a hypothesis, what is it?

9. The Method
• Exactly what did you do to answer your research question?
• Who or what were your research subjects?
• What was the treatment?
• How did you administer it?
• What instruments did you use?
• Did the subjects know the purpose of the experiment or study?
• What questions did you ask?
• When, where, and how did you ask them?
• Think about what the reader needs to know to be able to
replicate your research?

10. The Method
• When you describe the methods used in your
research, you do not have to answer all the
questions on the previous slide.
• Think about which details might influence the
results of your experience. Those details
should be mentioned.

11. The Results
• Exactly what did you find?
• Observe carefully.
• Present any statistics you have gathered or typical
answers to your questions.
• Think about what the reader needs to know in order
to see if her replication of your experiment produced
the same results.

12. The Conclusion
• What should we understand from these results?
• Why are they interesting?
• What might explain these results?
• What can we learn from this experiment?
• What further research is necessary?

13. Appendices
• An appendix might be included.
• It should include anything that you used that is not
central to the method or results. For example, it
might present all the questions and all the answers to
the questions.

14. Due Dates
• The research proposal must be submitted in
week 8 or earlier.
• The reports must be submitted in week 11.

15. Enjoy exploring life!