Mission Folder Tip: Key Elements of an Experimental Procedure

Key Elements of the Experimental Procedure

• Include a detailed description and size of all experimental and control groups, as applicable

• Include a step-by-step list of everything that must be done, in which order, to perform the experiment. Think about all the steps that will need to be completed for the experiment, and record exactly what will need to be done in each step.

• The experimental procedure must tell how you will change your one and only independent variable and how you will measure that change.

• The experimental procedure must explain how you will measure the resulting change in the dependent variable or variables.

• If applicable, the experimental procedure should explain how the controlled variables will be maintained at a constant value.

• The experimental procedure should specify how many times it is intend to repeat the experiment. This will verify that the results are reproducible.

• A good experimental procedure enables someone else to duplicate your experiment exactly!

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Experimental Procedure Checklist

What Makes a Good Experimental Procedure?

(For a Good Experimental Procedure, You Should Answer "Yes" to Every Question)

Have you included a description and size for all experimental and control groups?

Have you included a step-by-step list of all procedures?

Have you described how to the change independent variable and how to measure that change?

Have you explained how to measure the resulting change in the dependent variable or variables?

Have you explained how the controlled variables will be maintained at a constant value?

Have you specified how many times you intend to repeat the experiment (should be at least three times), and is that number of repetitions sufficient to give you reliable data?

The ultimate test: Can another individual duplicate the experiment based on the experimental procedure you have written?

If you are doing an engineering or programming project, have you completed several preliminary designs?