out an observational experiment as it would take many years. It would not be appropriate to perform a controlled experiment because in order to control the cause factor you would have to get teenagers to smoke. This would be neither safe nor ethical. In a situation like this you may use secondary sources of evidence to support your hypothesis. Using secondary sources is a good way to carry out an investigation and is particularly useful when investigating socio-scientific issues. In the same way as when using primary
sources of information, secondary sources of information are analysed and patterns and relationships can be explored. Once you have analysed the data you can present your findings and draw conclusions based on the evidence in your research.
Throughout this book you will see
Fig. 8 Information is analysed when researching scientific issues.
Research this. These are issues or scientific
investigations that you can research. Some are labelled Science in Society. These are socio-scientific issues suitable for more indepth investigations. Use the tips in this section to help you conduct your research.
How to conduct research on a scientific issue A good way to approach a research project is to break it into three stages: 1. Research 2. Organise 3. Communicate
1. Research Find out some general information about your topic. Make a list of questions that will help you find out about your topic. Sources of information can be encyclopedias, books from your local or school library, the internet or an expert.
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Internet – You must be careful when using the internet to research a topic. You need to be sure you can trust the information you find on it. Check that the author is named, the date of publication is recent, and the source of any facts or quotations is given. Make sure the website is published by a well-known organisation or company.
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Expert – Contacting an expert in the topic you are studying is a good way to find out information. An expert may have a masters degree or a PhD in the area you are researching, or they may have years of experience working in a specific career or field of study. Ask your teacher about how to make contact.
