Active Experiment Template

Write the experiment below.

1. Make an Observation

• Identify a phenomenon or pattern in your data that is worth investigating.

2. Empathize and Define

• Understand the context of your observation.

• Identify who is affected by the phenomenon.

• Drill down to the root cause of the phenomenon and define exactly what you’re investigating.

3. Ideate a Hypothesis

• Generate as many explanations for your observation as possible.

• Ensure your hypotheses make specific assertions that can be proven or disproven.

• Group your hypotheses into categories and refine them based on these categories.

• Repeat this process until you have one to three testable hypotheses.

4. Design an Experiment

• Design your experiment with a control group (where no variables are manipulated) and an experimental group (where one variable is manipulated).

• If you add more variables, ensure you have corresponding control groups.

• If manipulating the same variable in different ways, you can use a single control group.

• Ensure you have enough trials for statistical analysis (at least three trials per variable).

5. Check for Confounding Variables

• Identify potential confounding variables that could distort your results.

• Plan to control these variables during your experiment.

6. Prototype Your Experiment

• Test your experiment design to ensure it will provide the necessary data.

• Check the setup against your expectations.

• Make sure the data you’ll get can be used to statistically support or refute your hypotheses.

7. Carry Out the Experiments

• Execute the experiment, ensuring to minimize errors and maximize data collection.

• Be diligent in your data collection as one small error could invalidate your data.

8. Analyze

• Analyze the results of your experiment using appropriate statistical tests.

• Based on the results, accept or reject your hypotheses.

• For qualitative data, perform the same grouping you did for your hypotheses.