Installing a Practical Research Project and Interpreting Research Results
The basic concepts of the scientific method and research process are reviewed. An example from a bareroot nursery demonstrates how a practical research project can be done at any type of nursery, meshing sound statistical principles with the limitations of busy nursery managers. Tree Planters' Notes 50(1): 18-22; 2003. Although they may not realize it, most growers already do nursery research. Have you ever done the following: (1) contemplated a problem at your nursery, (2) had an idea how that problem might be corrected after reading an article or discussing it with a colleague, (3) put in trials to test your guess, and (4) decided if your idea solved the problem? If so, you have done scientific research. Depending on how the research is done, the process can provide accurate and useful information, or it can yield conclusions that are meaningless. Our objective is to help growers design projects that yield meaningful results. Once you can design a good experiment, you can also tell if published research results are generated by a well-designed experiment and are worthy of consideration.
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Author(s): R. Kasten Dumroese, David L. Wenny
Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volumes 50, Number 1 (2003)
Volume: 50
Number: 1
