I just today asked a student to change the word "experiment" in her paper to the word "study" because she simply asked different groups to respond to questionnaires. Around here, I reserve the label "experiment" to mean a study that randomly assigns participants to conditions. However I wonder if I am not with it in the way we scientists think these days. I was looking at NASA research and found that they seem to call any scientific activity an experiment.
Here's an example: http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/cf/exper.cfm?exp_index=848 I have a problem with students who show me published studies that are very poorly designed but they want to believe them because the studies are in print. When NASA calls non-experiments "experiments" I find myself losing credibility. Am I behind the times? Bill Scott --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
