• Question: How sure are you of your conclusions and interpretation?

    Asked by anon-227002 to William, Thibaut "Tibo", Harry, Georgia, Emily, Aimee on 13 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: William Wiseman

      William Wiseman answered on 13 Nov 2019:

      I love being right so I spend extra time trying to prove what we are doing is correct! Quite often, people might challenge peoples ideas but that’s not to say people are wrong. It is to make sure you have thought of everything and not just jumped to the first answer or what looks right.

    • Photo: Georgia Orton

      Georgia Orton answered on 13 Nov 2019:

      This is a really good question.
      In my PhD I taught myself a new and complex technique and I used it a lot in my work. I wanted to check that my conclusions were right so I asked my boss, two experts in this technique and then presented my work at a conference full of experts to see if they thought I was right. They did, so I was happy that I was correct.

      Sometimes people might come to one conclusion but, as they get more information they might realise they are wrong. This is how science works. As scientists we have to be as sure as we can be with our conclusions AND if we find something that disproves it we should tell people about it.

    • Photo: Aimee Egglestone

      Aimee Egglestone answered on 13 Nov 2019:

      My Supervisor and I come to different conclusions from the same data all the time, so I’ve had to really work on my instincts. It’s really important in science to be able to identify when to hold your own and insist you are correct, and when to go away and reassess, listen to the opinions of those around you and take them on board!

      For the most part I am very sure of myself, but it’s always good to be open-minded!

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