Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental record

Students: Nicolas Navarro
Students: Austin Kim

Evaluator:________________________
Evaluator:________________________

Introduction/Overview of Inquiry Proposal:

Guidelines for Experimental Record for Research Methods
Research scientists spend a large fraction of their time writing proposals. Proposals are a
necessary tool to apply for grant funding, or for permission to conduct research, but they also
serve a more useful role. Developing a research proposal forces you to think carefully about
what you plan to do, why it is interesting to you, and how you will go about doing it.
In the Research Methods class, you will be asked to write a number of proposals. These will
both help you focus your thoughts (perhaps after a perfectly natural period of frustration), and
give the instructors a better opportunity to keep track of what you are doing and hence give you
feedback. The more detailed your proposal is, the better feedback you will get, and the
stronger your final project will be. With this in mind, here are a few suggested guidelines for
writing your research proposal Introduction:
Please discuss the following, in the order shown, within your introductory paragraph(s)
1. Explain briefly what motivates you to carry out this project.
2. The first chapter of the Research Methods Notes lists a number of different types of research
projects. Decide which type of project you are conducting. Usually projects Test a Hypothesis,
Measure a Relationship, or more rarely Construct a Model.
3. If you are testing a hypothesis, you should clearly state the question you are interested in
answering, and your null and alternative hypotheses. If you are measuring a relationship, you
should clearly describe the dependent and independent variables.
4. What type of data will/did you collect? How will/did you collect the data? The more detailed
your plans are, the better we can identify and head off problems before they arise. Ideally, you
may want to write out step-by-step instructions, like writing a lab manual for your experiment.
5. Draw a completed graph of the preliminary data. What type of data are your dependent
and independent variables: categorical? Continuous? Be sure to include some actual

2008 The University of Texas at Austin

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

preliminary data that shows you are capable of taking the needed measurements and can
collect them with the sensors.
6. Be sure to consider that this will need to be written up in the form of a lesson plan for students
after the results of Inquiry 3 come in. Be thinking about possible questions to ask your fellow
students about the best ways to teach the material.

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Inquiry II Experimental Record

Introduction:
1. I would like to see if there is a relationship between sound intensity levels and a
persons heart rate. I want to see if altering the volume of the noise would result
into a change in someones heart rate. Also, I would like to see if the genre of the
music could cause a change in heart rate according to a persons preference.
Meaning, does their attitude towards the music affect ones heart rate. The
motivation to conducting this experiment is to find out different genres of music can
alter the heart rate of a person, which can lead to other possible health conditions.
2. I am conducting a "Measure a Relationship" by seeing the relationship between
the sound level, preference of genre in music, and the heart rate through
measurements of the relationships. The main goal of this experiment is to measure
the the change in heart rate when altering the music. The experiment is not
necessarily about finding the average heart rate, but more about the sudden
changes that occurs throughout the experiment.
3. The dependent variable during this experiment is the heart rate. The heart rate
depend on the measurement of the independent variable. The independent variable
during this experiment is the sound levels of the music and the genre of music
according to their preferences.
4. The type of data this experiment will conduct is a persons heart rate in
comparison to both the sound level and music preferences. Music preferences will
be based on each individual subject rating certain genres and measuring the heart
rate for each type of music. The data will be collected by experimenting on subjects
with the use of the sound sensor and hand grip heart rate sensor. I will use a simple
music player (IPhone) to adjust the sound level . As it adjusts in sound level, I will be
looking for the relation with the heart rate.
5.

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Inquiry II Experimental Record

Describe the aspects of the experiment you are proposing to conduct for your inquiry II as they
are relevant to the components listed below. State how you will address each issue. If some
components do not apply to your proposal than fill in with a N/A. Please type your responses
directly in each box.
Be specific with data analysis and error portions.

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

Points Topic
removed
100

Discussion of relevant aspects.

Safety and Ethics

Inquiry is conducted in accord with safe laboratory

practice, and treats human subjects in ethical manner

Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:

(Type your response in this box)
-The biggest safety factor that goes into this
experiment is the sound level intensity. I must
make sure that the sound level does not exceed
the point of damaging a person's earlobe. To
make sure it does not, I will ask the subjects
how the level is because each subject has
different hearing levels.

Motivation

Student is engaged by question and progress could

reasonably be expected in time allotted. (Discuss your
motivation for the topic and analyze how much time
you expect the development of this to take you, a
time budget, may be a useful thing to work out)

20

Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:

(Type your response in this box)
-I want to see the correlation between heart
rate and sound level because I want to see how
music and other noise factors can affect a
person's health. Seeing a positive or negative
correlation can show the effects of sound level
on ones heart rate. Doing 10-12 subjects is
going to take about 20-30 minutes per subjects.
This project in all should be roughly 4-5 hours of
collecting data

Calibration

20

Instrument has been configured to take meaningful

data. Please be detailed. Describe which probes will
need to be calibrated and what materials you will need
to calibrate it. See probe documentation for help.

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:

(Type your response in this box)
- I will need to use a sound sensor and a heart
rate sensor to keep track of both
measurements. I will also need a set of
headphones and music player as a way to
produce a controlled sound environment.
Error sources
20

Possible sources of random and systematic error have

been identified and actions have been taken to reduce
them when possible.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
- Errors that could occur during this experiment
include a person's movement because If one
subject is moving enough to alter the heart
rate.

10

Random Error

Effects of random error are reduced to acceptable

level through appropriate number of samples.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
- I will have to test ten to fifteen subjects to get
the best results. They will be randomly selected
as well.

Variables

10

Study is carefully designed to vary control, measure

response, and keep other variables constant. Describe
all variables and possible alternatives if the results
are unexpected.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
-One subject will be tested by altering the level
of music that is being produces into the
headphones . While the sound is being altered, I
will record the heart rate through the sensor to
see the relationship. Three songs, each of which
will be different genre, will be played in all. In
between each song, there will be a intermediate

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

break/acitivity to reset the heartbeat rate.

Extra quality points for
Up to work above and beyond
+15 that required.
Analysis: Be specific: Paste sample graphs in the introduction section. By now you
should have some preliminary data, this should be included in the graphs. Sample
data of expected outcomes are also welcome. Include examples of which statistics
can be run and which formulas you will use in the boxes below.
10

Graphs

Displays data in graphical form, including histograms

or functional relations as appropriate.
Proposed Relevant Experimental Design Aspect: Be
sure to include the graph in the introduction section.
(Type your response in this box)
-I will use a line graph so that we can follow the
continuous change in heart rate in comparison
to the change in sound level. I could also use
charts to note the numerical change in heart
rate when altering the sound.

Error

Indicates error bars on measurements as appropriate.

Be sure to describe appropriate error bars and how
you will place these on the graphs. By now you should
have preliminary data and can include error bars on
the graphs in the introduction. Please describe how
error bars are/will be determined, including any
formulas used. Note: standard error bars on excel
are rarely appropriate for these assignments..
Proposed Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box and be sure error bars
are included in sample data)
-I will place error bars at each interval of sound
change to show the possible error that may
occur in the heart rate measurement in that
point in time.

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

5 Axis

All axes are labeled and units clearly indicated.

Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box and be sure axis labels
are included in the sample data. )
-The horizontal axes would be my sound level
and the vertical axes would be the heart rate
level.

Statistics Basic

Computes means and standard errors for measured

variables. Include discussion of how you will complete
this with the number of samples present. Include all
formulas you will use and how many of each trial you
expect to complete in order to get acceptable statistical
data.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
- I would look at the changes in heart rate with
each individual subject and compare it with the
other subjects changes at the same time period
in the experiment.

20 Statistics Tests

Makes appropriate use of statistics. Which tests will

you use? What formulas will you need? How will your
number of samples affect this? Please be specific.
Test we will cover in this class are included in the
reading assignments.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
- I will just need to see the changes in heart rate
and compare them between each subject to see
an average in change of heart rate compared to
the change is sound level. Chi squared tests
can be conducted in order to compare the
expected changes in heart rate and the
observed change of heart rate.

20 Modeling

Constructs simple predictive relations, and compares

Research Methods

Inquiry II Experimental Record

with data. Please be specific. Note: Predictive relations

has a very specific meaning. This will not apply to
everyones experiment. If it does apply to yours, be
specific. What predictive relations do you expect to
determine.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
-Does not apply
Sources
Literature

10

Makes use of research literature to answer questions

outside scope of project as needed. You must include
two links in the box below. These can include links to
relevant scientific articles, or perhaps to educational
research articles if more applicable.
Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
- I will make a citation of all of the external
resources used in the experiment.

Extended Social Significance or Education Checklist: Discuss how this project relates to K12 students from both educational and social perspectives.
Social and Educational

50

Details the social issues related to the Inquiry (with

references) and briefly proposes an outline for a K12 Lesson. This will be expanded after the
completion of inquiry 2 to include a full K-12 lesson
plan.
Proposed Relevant Experimental Design Aspect:
(Type your response in this box)
-This experiment could be done in a classroom
as a group project. They could use themselves
as subjects and record their own data. As a
class they can analyze the results to see what
they show.

/100