When a well designed test is performed and you made sense of the data you collected, answers to the research question become clear. Others can learn from these tests. This is part of how working this way adds to new knowledge.

Think back to the cookie test you did:

• Were you able to answer the research questions?
• Were there problems with the way the test was done that kept you from finding the answers to the questions?

Think back to all of the things you did in doing this test. You sent in much more data than what was necessary to answer the research questions. Look at some of information that you didn't choose before. Are there any patterns in this new data in this new data? Are any new questions coming to mind?

Look at the most important characteristic that people chose.  Which one is the most popular?  What kind of score did the people give that characteristic when testing the cookies?
	How big was the difference in the prices of the brand of cookies?  Was the price difference the same for everyone who submitted data?  Was one brand always the most expensive?  Was one brand always the least expensive?
Do most males like the same brand of cookie?  Do most ten year olds like the same brand of cookie?  Did most ten year old males choose the same "most important characteristic"?
	Do most people who live in a rural area prefer the same least expensive cookie?

Are there any new questions that you may not be able to answer with the test you did?

 

Does someone who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies make a different choice in preferred brand compared to someone who does?
	Would the results change if the cookies were stored for two days before testing?
Would the results change if the cookies were frozen for a week then tested?

 

Maybe you have some new questions on your own!

To find answers to any of these new questions, you will need to make more tests. To answer a new question, you will need to look for more background information. You will need to design a test to answer the question. Don't forget, others must be able to repeat your test. You will need to collect data and then make sense of it. Finally, you will put it all together in your conclusion.

If it sounds to you like the process is starting all over again, you're right. True product testing is never really finished. How many times have you seen a "new and improved" product advertised? 

We invite you to conduct research of a spin-off question on your own. After you've done so, we want you to share what you have found. You can publish your research paper on our web site so that others can learn from your discoveries.