Collecting and recording data
Before you collect and record data you need to decide how you will present your results. Think about what you will observe or measure. This will depend on the type of trial or investigation you are carrying out.
Descriptive observations and accurate measurements will provide you with results that can be processed and interpreted so a conclusion can be made.
Measurements
Enough data needs to be measured and collected to show a pattern or trend once it has been processed.
Enough data needs to be measured and collected to show a pattern or trend once it has been processed.
Collecting data involves taking measurements of the variable that has been altered and then recording these measurements in a table. The units used (for example mm) should also be included in the table.
Here is an example of a table showing the germination results of 40 lettuce seeds sown in a container and left in an environment at 10°C, compared to 40 seeds sown and left at 15°C.
| Days since the start of the investigation | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | |
| Number of seeds germinated daily | 10°C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 15°C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 |
Observations
Observations are things that are noticed or observed happening or not happening during the investigation. Use your senses, where appropriate, to help you make observations. These might include:
- what is seen, such as shape or colour, size
- what is heard
- what something feels like, for example, gritty soil, crisp texture of an apple
- what something tastes like (relevant for food crops)
- what it smells like.
Observe the differences in the appearance (shape, size and colour) between these globe artichoke cultivars, which were collected and developed by research scientist John Palmer. These cultivars would also have been tested for their flavour, texture and suitability for different cooking methods.
What's next?
Go to: 3 Processing data and reporting.