David has taught Honors Physics, AP Physics, IB Physics and general science courses. He has a Masters in Education, and a Bachelors in Physics.
There's a lot of unanswered questions we have about the world. The job of a scientist is to answer these questions. It's a pretty great job, because you can let your curiosity run wild and figure out things that nobody else has.
 |
At the center of that process is a scientific investigation, which collects data to answer a question. However, not every scientific investigation is the same. Matching the right type of investigation to a certain question is one of the first steps that a scientist needs to take. So how do they do it?
Your goal is to figure out how one variable affects another. There's usually only one thing that you change. Keeping all the others the same makes it easier to figure out if one variable really caused a change in another. There are different types of investigations: field studies, systematic observations, controlled experiments, models, and simulations. Whichever kind of investigation you use, a lot of the key principles are the same.
Let's look at each type of scientific investigation in more detail.
A field study is where you investigate something in a real-world environment without affecting that environment directly. For example, in zoology, you might investigate animal behavior by watching animals in their natural habitat. This has a lot of advantages, the main one is that the results tend to be very realistic.
Animals might behave differently in captivity than they do in real life, so a field study is a good way to get accurate data. The downside is that you can't properly control variables - there will always be multiple factors affecting a particular situation, and figuring out what exactly causes something to happen can be difficult.
 |
A systematic observation is a way of taking something that would otherwise be a field study - something in real life - and reducing other variables and biases. Bias can be reduced by having many people observe the same event. And the effect of other variables can be reduced by focusing on one particular variable and exerting some control of the situation.
People should be able to do your experiment again and confirm your findings. Systematic observations are done a lot in medicine, because we need to know whether our interventions have the result we're hoping for.
A controlled experiment is where you study something in a lab where every variable can be controlled. The only thing that should change is the cause and effect that you're studying.
For example, how does the roughness of a surface affect how fast a car slows down? In your investigation the only things that should change are the roughness of the surface and the rate the car slows. Everything else: the type of car, the kind of tires, the amount of wind, etc. should remain the same.
This is useful in a situation where you really need to know cause and effect with certainty. However, sometimes it's not so good when you need to study a real life situation where things happen differently than in a lab. This is especially true for psychological and zoological research.
Models and simulations are related concepts, and are generally used together in scientific investigations. A model is a way of representing something complex in the real world in a more simple way. For example, you could create a physical model of a rocket ship in order to do some tests on it, or you could create a mathematical model of the laws of gravity to help explain how they work.
Once you have a model, you can use it to run a simulation, a sort of test that imitates a process. This is where the scientific investigation comes into it. If you know the rules and laws that govern a situation, you can change the variables and see what happens. For example, you could run a simulation to see how the rocket might fly to Mars, or how the moon's gravity might affect a comet's direction.
 |
When it comes to choosing which of these methods is best, you have to look at the question that you are asking. If there are too many variables to realistically control, or controlling those variables would make the results less useful, a field study is usually best. A field study might also be the right choice if it will be morally wrong to affect the situation (like interfering with animals in the natural environment).
If you're studying something in a real-life situation, but where you really need to figure out cause and effect, a systematic observation might be the best choice.
If there are only a small number of variables, those variables can be realistically controlled, and you expect things to happen in the lab in the same way that they would in real life, a controlled experiment is the way to go.
And last of all, simulation-based scientific investigations are usually a good choice when we have a particularly good idea of the scientific laws that govern a situation. They can also be useful when you're investigating a scenario that you can't ethically re-create in real life -- like a major fire, terrorist attack, or other dangerous situation. Simulations are usually worthwhile for particularly complex situations.
Scientists do investigations to answer questions about the world. There are many types of investigation methods they can use.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Already a member? Log In
BackAlready registered? Log in here for access
Did you know… We have over 200 college courses that prepare you to earn credit by exam that is accepted by over 1,500 colleges and universities. You can test out of the first two years of college and save thousands off your degree. Anyone can earn credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level.
To learn more, visit our Earning Credit Page
Not sure what college you want to attend yet? Study.com has thousands of articles about every imaginable degree, area of study and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.
Back To Course
Washington EOC - Biology Grade 10: Test Prep & Practice15 chapters | 122 lessons | 10 flashcard sets
{{courseNav.course.topics.length}} chapters | {{courseNav.course.mDynamicIntFields.lessonCount}} lessons | {{course.flashcardSetCount}} flashcard set{{course.flashcardSetCoun > 1 ? 's' : ''}}
Next Lesson
Watch 5 minute video clips, get step by step explanations, take practice quizzes and tests to master any topic.
Study.com has a library of 750,000 questions and answers for covering your toughest textbook problems
I love the way expert tutors clearly explains the answers to my homework questions. Keep up the good work!
- Maritess, College StudentStudy.com video lessons have helped over 30 million students.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I learned more in 10 minutes than 1 month of chemistry classes"
- Ashlee P.
"I aced the CLEP exam and earned 3 college credits!"
- Clair S.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
"The videos have changed the way I teach! The videos on Study.com accomplish in 5 minutes what would take me an entire class."
- Chris F.
Over 65 million users have prepared for {{displayNameByProductKey[registrationData.product || testPrepCocoon]}} and other exams on Study.com
