Briefly, name and describe each step of the scientific method.
Purpose- this the first step of any research. The researchers usually formulate a question in which they are interested in learning.
Research- this step involves going through background information from different sources.
Hypothesis- a hypothesis is a statement or conjecture which has not yet been proven to be true. This step involves the formulation of a hypothesis to form a starting point for the research.
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Experiment- this is the step where the actual testing takes place. Researchers, perform the experiment to test the already formulated hypotheses. A typical experiment has an independent and a dependent variable. The change is put on the independent variable while observing the effect it has on the dependent variable.
Data Analysis- after the experiment has been done, observations are recorded and analyzed to determine what the data means. Tables and graphs are prepared during this step.
Conclusion- researchers conclude whether to accept or reject the hypothesis.
Trace each of the step of the scientific method through the summary of the article, clearly identifying each step.
The purpose of the research is stated in the first line of the summary where researchers investigated in laboratory mice whether or not coffee prevented the development of high blood sugar (Yamauchi et al, 2010). The second step; research is evident from the summary where it is stated that the mice used in this experiment have a mutation that makes them become diabetic. Experiment step is seen when it is stated that a certain group of mice was given water and another dilute coffee water. The next step is that of data analysis which can be seen when the results of the experiment are stated and that blood glucose concentrations increased significantly in the mice that drank water compared with those that were supplied with coffee (Yamauchi et al, 2010). Conclusion step is evident when the investigators acknowledged that coffee ameliorates high blood sugar.
Identify the control and treatment group(s)
The control group is the 11 mice that were given plain water to drink for five weeks and the treatment group comprised of the 10 mice made to drink diluted coffee water for five weeks.
Identify the independent and dependent variables.
The dependent variable is high blood sugar development and the independent variables which influence the dependent variable are coffee and caffeine.
Critique
Explain whether or not the control and treatment groups are appropriate for the question and hypothesis.
The main reason for having a control group in an experiment is in order to obtain a good understanding of the factors one wishes to control (Gallin & Ognibene, 2012). The control and treatment groups used in this experiment are appropriate for the purpose and the hypothesis of this experiment. This is because the aim is to find out if coffee suppresses the occurrence of high blood sugar in mice and the treatment group mice comprise those that were given coffee water whereas the control group comprised of those given plain water with no coffee. This is effective since the treatment group consumes what is to be studied and the control group left intact in order to contrast the changes.
Explain whether or not the methods were appropriate for the question and hypothesis.
The methods were appropriate for both the question and hypothesis in the experiment. The null hypothesis would be that there is no difference between the two groups i.e. the mice that drank plain water and those that drank coffee water and the alternative hypothesis would state that there is a significant difference between the two groups. The method used for separating the two groups of mice and using different treatments while maintaining the same conditions, for example, food and the environment were appropriate for this experiment.
Explain whether or not the sample size in this research was large enough.
The sample size was not large enough in this experiment. A total of 21 mice were used in this experiment which is a relatively small number. A sample of at least 30 mice should have been taken in order to get more reliable results (Donnelly, & Abdel-Raouf, 2016) .
Explain any potential bias in this research study
The experiment was performed on a group of mice that have a mutation that makes them diabetic which makes the study biased against other normal mice. The results are therefore inconclusive and cannot be used to give credible information about the effect of coffee and caffeine on all species of mice.
Explain any limitations of the conclusions made in this research study.
The findings of these research are only limited to type 2 diabetes. As for the other types of diabetes, one cannot conclude anything from the results obtained.
Relevance
Discuss the relevance of this research for you personally
This research helps me realize the effects of coffee and caffeine in the body since the findings show that caffeine ameliorates high blood sugar. I would, therefore, be personally encouraged to drink more coffee on a daily basis to reduce my chances of developing diabetes.
Discuss the relevance of this research for the world.
This research gives scientists and investigators alike reliable information on caffeine’s ability to reduce hyperglycemia. The research shows that coffee ingestion reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines genes as well (Yamauchi et al, 2010). This study is relevant for the general world as the findings can be compared and contrasted with past studies to acquire better-improved facts. However, the limitations present form the basis for future research work, for instance, to identify the particular component in coffee which is responsible for the reduction in incidences of diabetes.
References
Donnelly, R., & Abdel-Raouf, F. (2016). Statistics (1st ed.). Indianapolis, Indiana: Alpha, a member of Penguin Random House LLC.
Gallin, J., & Ognibene, F. (2012). Principles and Practice of Clinical Research (p. 238). Boston: Academic Press.
Yamauchi et al. (2010). Coffee and caffeine ameliorate hyperglycemia, fatty liver, and inflammatory adipocytokine expression in spontaneously diabetic KK-Ay mice . Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , 58 (9), 5597-5603. May 12, PMID: 20405946, ISSN: 1520-5118.
