DIY: research

Science, Chemical Engineering News

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With the internet at our beck and call, almost any question that comes to mind can be answered simply by opening a web browser and googling it.  But knowing which answer is true and which is someone's attempt to spread unsubstantiated claims and/or pet theories can be a challenge.

University libraries and educational systems seem to be particularly sensitive to the reliability of information.  Two good references on how to verify whether the information you've found is reliable are the McGraw Hill Higher Education and Georgia Mason University pages.

Often we use the web to diagnose a health problem. Medical News Today talks about "Dr Google And The Unwise Practice Of Self-Diagnosis." On the other hand researching medical diagnoses given by a doctor, especially one for a serious disease is probably a must. This article at Johns Hopkins in an eye-opener: "Diagnostic Errors More Common, Costly And Harmful Than Treatment Mistakes." A good rule of thumb would be to search on the disease name and, if the condition is serious, find a support group or forum.

What about finding out what to do about your newly replaced faucet cartridge that has reversed hot and cold? Again forums are a good resource. Google your question with simple terms.  If the links that come up don't address the issue, reword your query until you get something meaningful.  It may take several tries to get to an answer that appears useful. Usually you don't have to sign up for a forum to just read the threads. This method is useful for troubleshooting computer problems, too.

And then there is 'real' research. Most often the hard sciences require a laboratory or place to carry out experiments. A garage will often do; and the internet is very useful for finding out about equipment, what's been done, and where to buy supplies and equipment.

Science requires method to get repeatable results, but most of all it requires a firm understanding of current scientific theory that applies to your area of interest.  So back to the internet to gather and digest information on what you will be working on.

As for research techniques in geneal, WiseGEEK has some good information. There are two types of research, basic and applied. Another set of terms you may encounter are qualitative vs. quantitative. Generally, qualitative indicates a verbal analysis or report; quantitative a numerical analysis or report. Online I'm seeing these terms applied mostly to the sociological and psychological fields.

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Aiden Yeh, Formal research process, Slideshare

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For an overview of scientific frontiers being challenged today and where we earthlings may be headed, take a look at this video featuring physicist Michio Kaku, posted by Big Think.

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-- Marge