These are the terms and concepts that you'll come across the most when looking at published articles. Some of these will be actual words you'll come across - others are concepts that every experiment is based on, and understanding them will give you a better idea of what's actually going on. These will start off simple, but they'll get more complex the further down the list you go. If there's a term or concept you'd like us to add to the list, let us know! Comment below and we'll see what we can do.
As always, we hope you leave this page knowing more then you did before! - xo, The Science Gals
This is the maths bit. Everything about the results from an experiment is usually turned into numbers in some way, whether that’s tumour size, blood pressure levels, reaction times, test scores, or survey responses. Assigning numerical values to results allows scientists to measure change in a clear, structured way, making it easier to compare results between groups, across time, or under different conditions.
You’ve probably heard someone say something like, “Studies show that X is linked to Y,” and it can sound pretty convincing. But in science, the word linked carries a very specific meaning, and it doesn’t always mean one thing is causing the other. One of the most common and most misunderstood concepts in research is correlation. It sounds intimidating because it’s a statistics term, but at its core, it’s simply a way scientists measure how two things change alongside each other.
Have you ever read a headline announcing a “breakthrough treatment” or a study claiming something dramatically improves health, learning, or behaviour and wondered how scientists actually know that change was caused by what they tested? In research, proving that something works isn’t just about seeing improvement, it’s about showing that the improvement wouldn’t have happened. That’s where one of the most fundamental building blocks of scientific experiments comes in: control groups and experimental groups. These two groups allow researchers to separate real effects from coincidence, natural change, or outside influences and without them, it would be almost impossible to trust the results of most scientific studies.
The basis for everything we do! While it seems strange, it was important to explain a couple of other factors before explaining what an experiment actually is. An experiment is a controlled procedure that is carried out to test a hypothesis. This typically involves manipulating one or more variables to observe the effects it has.
Variables are anything that can either be measured or controlled in an experiment. There’s three types of variables; Independent, Dependent and Controlled. What these mean varies from lab to lab.
Starting an experiment, there is always a question being asked-
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