An important part of investigation design is safety. You should be aware of the hazards of working in a science laboratory. You should also conduct a risk assessment of any investigation you plan to carry out.
Outline the hazards of carrying out your investigation. List the steps you can take to avoid these hazards. Identify the person responsible for minimising hazards. Remember, a risk assessment is only useful if you act on it.
A risk assessment should: zz
zz zz
From the moment you plan an investigation, through setting up equipment and collecting data, you need to work in a safe and organised way. This will reduce the chance of damaging equipment and injuring yourself or your classmates.
Ethics z Fig. 0.2.2
Laboratory safety is always the number one priority
Ethics refers to the need to carry out investigations and give results in a responsible way.
You should consider the ethics of what you are trying to investigate, especially if your investigation involves living things (including humans). For example, an investigation to find out how mice react when they are exposed to electric shocks would be unethical because a living thing would be harmed.
Checklist for Investigation Design Make sure you can answer ‘yes’ to all of the following questions before beginning an investigation.
1. Do I have a clear question and hypothesis that can be tested scientifically?
2. Have I made a prediction about what will happen and explained why?
3. Have I identified my independent and dependent variables?
4. Have I identified my controlled (fixed) variables and the ways to keep these factors the same?
5. Have I identified my equipment?
6. Have I conducted a risk assessment, including ethical considerations?
7. Do I know how to use the equipment safely and accurately?
8. Is my method described in a fair and reliable way? 6
