What do you think?
Rate this book
Experiment! Planning, Implementing and Interpreting
Experiments are the most effective way to learn about the world. By cleverly interfering with something to see how it reacts we are able to find out how it works. In contrast to passive observation, experimenting provides us with data relevant to our research and thus less time and effort is spent separating relevant from irrelevant information.
The art of experimentation is often learnt by doing, so an intuitive understanding of the experimental method usually evolves gradually through years of trial and error. This book speeds up the journey for the reader to becoming a proficient experimenter.
Organized in two parts, this unique text begins by providing a general introduction to the scientific approach to experimentation. It then describes the processes and tools required, including the relevant statistical and experimental methods. Towards the end of the book a methodology is presented, which leads the reader through the three phases of an experiment: 'Planning', 'Data Collection', and 'Analysis and Synthesis'.
Experiment!Provides an excellent introduction to the methodology and implementation of experimentation in the natural, engineering and medical sciencesPuts practical tools into scientific contextFeatures a number of selected actual experiments to explore what are the key characteristics of good experimentsIncludes examples and exercises in every chapter
This book focuses on general research skills, such as adopting a scientific mindset, learning how to plan meaningful experiments and understanding the fundamentals of collecting and interpreting data. It is directed to anyone engaged in experiments, especially Ph.D. and masters students just starting to create and develop their own experiments.
The art of experimentation is often learnt by doing, so an intuitive understanding of the experimental method usually evolves gradually through years of trial and error. This book speeds up the journey for the reader to becoming a proficient experimenter.
Organized in two parts, this unique text begins by providing a general introduction to the scientific approach to experimentation. It then describes the processes and tools required, including the relevant statistical and experimental methods. Towards the end of the book a methodology is presented, which leads the reader through the three phases of an experiment: 'Planning', 'Data Collection', and 'Analysis and Synthesis'.
Experiment!Provides an excellent introduction to the methodology and implementation of experimentation in the natural, engineering and medical sciencesPuts practical tools into scientific contextFeatures a number of selected actual experiments to explore what are the key characteristics of good experimentsIncludes examples and exercises in every chapter
This book focuses on general research skills, such as adopting a scientific mindset, learning how to plan meaningful experiments and understanding the fundamentals of collecting and interpreting data. It is directed to anyone engaged in experiments, especially Ph.D. and masters students just starting to create and develop their own experiments.
288 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2012
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 7, 2016
I did not realize when I ordered this book that it is a textbook for Ph.D. students, however the topic appealed to me and I hope to be able to use what it teaches. I am not trained in any scientific disciplines but my hobbies have often mingled people of scientific and non-scientific backgrounds - specifically, growing carnivorous plants and saltwater reef-keeping (yes, unusual hobbies; I know). In both hobbies it is not uncommon to see hobbyists offering advice on online forums to others, saying they did x or y to their plants or aquarium and got z result. Unfortunately, where there has not been a lot of scientifically-based research, this good-intentioned but sometimes flawed advice is what frequently passes as "Truth."
This book describes how to apply scientific principles of experimentation to situations to improve the information learned. In spite of my non-scientific (business) background I found it easily readable (if a bit long-winded sometimes). The sections on using statistics are probably beyond my needs (especially since it's been a LONG time since I took statistics) but I appreciated the sections on designing experiments and measuring and interpreting data. Overall, it's more broad-based and technical than I needed (especially since my efforts - when I finally get around to them - will be mostly for personal edification) but it's still some useful principles to keep in mind, even for a simple hobbyist.
This book describes how to apply scientific principles of experimentation to situations to improve the information learned. In spite of my non-scientific (business) background I found it easily readable (if a bit long-winded sometimes). The sections on using statistics are probably beyond my needs (especially since it's been a LONG time since I took statistics) but I appreciated the sections on designing experiments and measuring and interpreting data. Overall, it's more broad-based and technical than I needed (especially since my efforts - when I finally get around to them - will be mostly for personal edification) but it's still some useful principles to keep in mind, even for a simple hobbyist.
October 25, 2013
Is it possible all experiment education books are as nice as this? Because if not, this is truly remarkable as a book that focuses on just how a student properly conducts research
and experiments.
What stood out to me was just how personable this book is--I made the comment to my husband that it seemed to be a book written by a nice professor who could no longer put up with his Ph. D. students' experiment issues. Rather than dry text, this is a book that is at once both professional and accessible. It is full of experiments for students, making for plenty of practice, with end-of-chapter summaries.
The book begins with several chapters that are nothing more and nothing less than the theories behind a good experiment. Though the book is definitely aimed toward grad students, I found those beginning chapters a wonderful base source for anyone, setting the groundwork for the latter half of the book where experiments are discussed.
This is a wonderful resource that nails the principles of experiments and should be used by all grad students.
and experiments.
What stood out to me was just how personable this book is--I made the comment to my husband that it seemed to be a book written by a nice professor who could no longer put up with his Ph. D. students' experiment issues. Rather than dry text, this is a book that is at once both professional and accessible. It is full of experiments for students, making for plenty of practice, with end-of-chapter summaries.
The book begins with several chapters that are nothing more and nothing less than the theories behind a good experiment. Though the book is definitely aimed toward grad students, I found those beginning chapters a wonderful base source for anyone, setting the groundwork for the latter half of the book where experiments are discussed.
This is a wonderful resource that nails the principles of experiments and should be used by all grad students.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews