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Creating
 the Context

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Guided
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  Background Info
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The Vee graphic below is your road map to research! It will help you think about how where you are in the research process and where you need to go. Your research will produce new understanding of the natural world. Your work begins with a Research Focus at the center of the left Vee diagram. Your work takes you down the left side of this Vee, discovering what we already know about this area. At the point of the Vee are the specific measuring techniques we are going to use. Your work will then take you up the right side of this Vee diagram as you contribute your data to a collaborative database and begin to discover patterns in the data.

Background information for ground level ozone Method for measuring ground level ozone Submit the data you have collected Results of the data collected by student-researchers What analysis can be made from the results of the data? What conclusions can be drawn from the analysis and results of data? Explore further ground level ozone research Research Focus for study Research Focus for study Background information for ground level ozone Protocol for measuring ground level ozone Submit the data you have collected Results of the data collected by student-researchers What analysis can be made from the results of the data? What conclusions can be drawn from the analysis and results of data? Explore further ground level ozone research What research values have you discovered? Research Questions for study Publish your research in our electronic journals

The Creating the Context Vee-diagram (the one on the left) reflects the idea that good research questions emerges from a rich background of understanding, or in other words, a rich set of experiences. This could be experience with the outdoors in general or some specific natural process. The Research Focus, in the middle of the Vee-diagram, is the focus of the activity. In this case the Research Focus is atmospheric carbon dioxide and global warming. The links on the Creating the Context Vee diagram below guide you through the science concepts and background information we already know about atmospheric carbon dioxide. The measuring activities of the research methodology will help you establish a deep understanding of the area to be researched. Your data and combined with the data from you fellow researchers in the network will create a large set of measurement data that will also allow you to explore this area even more deeply. Looking for patterns (regularities) in this data will help you ask really interesting questions!

The questions you ask while Creating the Context are the questions that drive good research. The Vee-diagram on the right, the Research Vee, is your guide to the research process coming from these questions. The Guided Research online is a structured research project. It is intended to help you understand research by participating in ongoing research. In each area of the guided research you are encouraged to contribute new information. The Background Information of the Guided Research is not just more information but a guide to getting additional information. As you find new information, you should contribute it through the form. The Guided Research area is an already designed research project organized as a tutorial to guide you through the research process. The Guided Research work is meaningful and important work that will help you become more familiar with research process. You are encouraged to pursue your own questions and research. The process, organization and steps of the research Vee remain the same and can still help you guide your work.

If you do your own research project, the final and very important step is sharing your knowledge with the PathFinder Science community. This is done through the Research Publication area. Communication of results is critical to building an understanding of the natural world and sharing your new knowledge is a critical part of the scientific process. It is also important to building this research community. Make sure that you contribute to this community building process.

Refer back to this page as often as you like to guide you through the work!

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