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Protocols header text
- Why Protocols?

Protocols are methods used by scientists to collect data. Scientists share information and data with each other. In order to easily compare and use data, they must be collected following the same protocols. Your data will be used by CAP LTER scientists and other students, and you may want to use their data too. So it’s REALLY important to follow the protocols. That's what real scientists do.

Here's another reason to use protocols:
To formulate a useful hypothesis (a statement that proposes a possible reason for what you've observed), all scientists need some baseline data (background information). In ecology, baseline data come from doing initial surveys of particular areas. Once they know what's out there — what's flying, crawling, growing, and creeping about the urban area — ecologists ask, "What has caused these things to be here?" To answer these questions, ecologists design experiments focusing on particular parts of the ecosystem.


Diagram of methods used by scientists to do research. First, an initial survey is conducted. Scientists then look for patterns based on this initial survey. They ask questions about these patterns, and write hypotheses. They design experiments to test these hypotheses, then record and analyze data. This process often generates new questions.

Ecology Explorers follows this scientific research cycle. Your first step is to use the protocols, observing and recording what's in a particular location over a particular period of time. After looking for patterns in the data, you will ask questions, write hypotheses, and design experiments to test your hypotheses.


Do you ever think about the future?
Baseline data that you collect and record will help ecologists understand what happens over time. Students at your school 5, 10 and 20 years in the future will be able to compare your surveys with the surveys they will do, using the same protocols. With this data, they can develop experiments that help answer "why" changes have (or have not) occurred.