In this series of blog posts we’ll be exploring how science works and how it relates to your own garden. You’ll be introduced to the basics of science including what the scientific method is, what makes a valid scientific study, how data is collected, analyzed and how study results are communicated. You will learn how to critically analyze popular press and scientific articles related to gardening topics (and be able to identify pseudoscience claims).
This guide is for any gardener who is interested in learning more about science or possibly taking part in a citizen science project. (OSU and other institutions have many exciting garden-related projects-check them out here.) Even if you are not interested in collecting data as a citizen scientist, this training will still benefit you by providing a general understanding of science and how to critically analyze scientific gardening claims in the media.
How Science Works: A Guide for Gardeners
Why study gardens? (links to the OSU Garden Ecology lab)
What’s the difference between scientific theories and hypotheses? (coming soon)
Understanding objectivity in science (coming soon)
What types of scientific experiments are used to study gardens? (coming soon)
Too good to be true? How to evaluate scientific claims (coming soon)
What is Citizen Science and why should gardeners get involved? (coming soon)
