• Question: When you find out a certain peice of infomation or more research has been done, what do you do with that information?

    Asked by aparker to Suzi, Tim on 24 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 24 Jun 2011:

      Hi @aparker

      Great question!
      There are a number of different things you can do.
      You can use this as a design for a new experiment and try and replicate what these researchers have found – this helps to ensure that their result isn’t just a chance finding, but is actually an accurate outcome.

      You can also use their research as a ‘jumping off’ point and conduct something similar. Often when researchers find something out, they are left with more questions based on their results, and they will suggest this in the ‘discussion’ at the end of their academic paper. You can take the ideas they suggest and advance the work.

      If you’re doing work that is similar, you can take the other researcher’s findings, and mention them in your work as possible reasons for the findings you have found. This is called ‘citing’ someone’s work, and it’s very important!

      I hope this answers your question – let me know if you’d like more info!

    • Photo: Tim Fosker

      Tim Fosker answered on 24 Jun 2011:

      Hi @aparker

      Great answer from Suzi – I can’t really add anything.

      It is so important that scientists write-up there work for other people to read when it is finished. Most scientists will present there work at conferences when it isn’t quite finished as well. It is good to get other scientists opinions. As Suzi says all scientists rely on other peoples work to form new ideas and help decide whether their own ideas are right.

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