User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
As I am currently in the midst of assembling my final report there seems to be no better time to reflect on the process that has brought me to this point. It has been my first experience doing any ecology in the field and I have certainly gained a lot of respect for the mental and physical rigour that must go into even the simplest of experiments. Mine, for example, is extremely simple in comparison to the level of experiments being done by individuals my age or younger, and it has taken a great deal of time and energy to ensure that it was carried out to the best of my ability.
I’m amazed at the complexity involved in carrying out a basic experiment, as randomization and elimination of confounding variables can require much more work than I initially would have thought. The more one thinks about an experiment it seems the more one thinks up ways it may be confounded, so it is essential to pick a few important factors right from the start, and ensure they are accounted for before data is collected, otherwise a whole day (or more) can be wasted. I learned this first hand after my first day of collections, when I discovered that there was a better way to measure my independent variable (light), and also forgot to account for things like weather and time of day. Moving forward I will try to be much more rigorous in my study design before stepping out into the field, should I undertake a similar endeavour in the future.
The hardest part for me was getting started. Finding a pattern worth examining was tricky for me, and I wish I was able to notice the asymmetry of branches sooner, as it took me several months to even gain this inspiration, it was valuable time that I could have spent on better designing/carrying out my study etc.
I am also realizing more and more the value of a strong statistical background in this field. Many of the papers I scanned used statistical analyses that I’ve long since forgotten (or never knew) the meaning of, and it would be worthwhile on gaining a stronger foundation in this area.
One point worth noting is that carrying out my experiment on my own has been both a blessing and a curse; while I have had complete control over the experiment it can a lot of work to perform on one’s own, and especially as a first timer, the learning curve felt steep (which is good!). When I now read academic papers with only one author I am now often impressed by the level of work they have achieved with little help, whereas before I never gave the number of authors much of a thought.
Overall, a great learning experience, which still requires many more hours of my attention in assembling the final report. Thanks for reading.
