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− | + | :''This page is about how to get started with your own personal science project. See'' [[Help:Getting started with wiki syntax|Getting started with wiki syntax]] ''for details on how to use this wiki.'' | |
− | :''This page is about how to get started with your own personal science project. See'' [[Help:Getting started with wiki syntax| | ||
Getting started with [[personal science]] can feel intimidating as there are a lot of components to consider when trying to answer personal questions. This page tries to accumulate best practices and advice to help both newcomers and experienced personal scientists in thinking and designing their personal science efforts. It is based on years of experience of personal scientists and is a living guide, which means that you are invited to edit and improve this article as well. | Getting started with [[personal science]] can feel intimidating as there are a lot of components to consider when trying to answer personal questions. This page tries to accumulate best practices and advice to help both newcomers and experienced personal scientists in thinking and designing their personal science efforts. It is based on years of experience of personal scientists and is a living guide, which means that you are invited to edit and improve this article as well. | ||
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This simplification was done as it can be very hard to differentiate between "design" and "observation" as they often relate to each other and changes in the project design are often related to initial observations. | This simplification was done as it can be very hard to differentiate between "design" and "observation" as they often relate to each other and changes in the project design are often related to initial observations. | ||
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== Questioning == | == Questioning == | ||
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* Learning about the frequency or intensity of things (e.g. of symptoms like pain or allergies or changes in mood, weight or other phenomena) | * Learning about the frequency or intensity of things (e.g. of symptoms like pain or allergies or changes in mood, weight or other phenomena) | ||
* Improving ones health or well-being, e.g. when having a chronic condition | * Improving ones health or well-being, e.g. when having a chronic condition | ||
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* Making progress in physical training or sports, trying to recover from an injury | * Making progress in physical training or sports, trying to recover from an injury | ||
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* Creatively expressing oneself through data and visualizations | * Creatively expressing oneself through data and visualizations | ||
* Wanting to learn a new skill | * Wanting to learn a new skill | ||
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==== Framing a question ==== | ==== Framing a question ==== | ||
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== Observing == | == Observing == | ||
− | Once one has decided on what kind of questions one would like to pursue, it is time to think about how to answer it. Virtually all self-research projects require making deliberate observations. This requires selecting some parameters that one wants to pay special attention to to keep track of them. | + | Once one has decided on what kind of questions one would like to pursue, it is time to think about how to answer it. Virtually all self-research projects require making deliberate observations. This requires selecting some parameters that one wants to pay special attention to to keep track of them. There are some things to consider when selecting what to observe. |
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− | There are some things to consider when selecting what to observe. | ||
* '''Relevancy''': Does observing this offer insights into what I really care about? | * '''Relevancy''': Does observing this offer insights into what I really care about? | ||
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Another good rule of thumb for observations is that the events or phenomena that one plans to record should be '''noticeable''', '''variable''' and '''distinct''' as this will help facilitate recording the observations and reasoning about them later on. Having noticeable events helps recording the data, in particular when doing so manually by entering data by hand into a notebook, spreadsheet or mobile app (e.g. symptom recordings). Variability is important, as events that never change in frequency or intensity or any other dimension will not provide any insights (see relevancy above). Lastly, having distinct events is important to be able to correctly record observations as a lack of distinctiveness makes it hard to "correctly" count how often a thing happens. | Another good rule of thumb for observations is that the events or phenomena that one plans to record should be '''noticeable''', '''variable''' and '''distinct''' as this will help facilitate recording the observations and reasoning about them later on. Having noticeable events helps recording the data, in particular when doing so manually by entering data by hand into a notebook, spreadsheet or mobile app (e.g. symptom recordings). Variability is important, as events that never change in frequency or intensity or any other dimension will not provide any insights (see relevancy above). Lastly, having distinct events is important to be able to correctly record observations as a lack of distinctiveness makes it hard to "correctly" count how often a thing happens. | ||
− | + | === Using proxies === | |
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Many things one might want to observe can be either hard to quantify (e.g. the abstract idea of "fitness") or hard to consistently observe because it would be too challenging to collect the "ideal" data over a period time. In such cases one can try to replace the direct observation through a proxy measurement that is closer to the ideal conditions outlined above. For example, instead of measuring "fitness" one could track physiological values such as [[HRV (Heart Rate Variability)|Heart Rate Variability]] or how fast one runs, how many weights lifted etc. | Many things one might want to observe can be either hard to quantify (e.g. the abstract idea of "fitness") or hard to consistently observe because it would be too challenging to collect the "ideal" data over a period time. In such cases one can try to replace the direct observation through a proxy measurement that is closer to the ideal conditions outlined above. For example, instead of measuring "fitness" one could track physiological values such as [[HRV (Heart Rate Variability)|Heart Rate Variability]] or how fast one runs, how many weights lifted etc. | ||
− | + | === How to observe and record === | |
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− | === How to observe and record | ||
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== References == | == References == | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||
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