SREL Reprint #2417

Defining the beginning: the importance of research design

Justin D. Congdon1 and Arthur E. Dunham2

1Savannah River Ecology Lab, P 0. Drawer E, Aiken, South Carolina 29802 USA
2Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 USA

Summary: The value of a research project is determined not just by the new data obtained, but how the research complements previous investigations and contributes to our understanding of broad biological topics or to tests of broad ecological theories, concepts, or general problems in conservation and management of biodiversity. Just as individual research questions influence the quality of data collected, suites of related questions within a research project influence the quality of extended research goals such as synthesis of general topics ( e.g., causes of population regulation and dynamics; sources of variation in growth rates among individuals or populations) and development of new questions and hypotheses that will guide future research.

SREL Reprint #2417

Congdon, J.D. and A.E. Dunham. 1999. Defining the beginning: the importance of research design. pp. 83-87. In: Eckert, K.L., K.A. Bjorndal, F.A. Abreu-Grobois, and M. Donnelly (Eds.). Research and Management Techniques for the Conservation of Sea Turtles. Volume 4. IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).