Scientific Method and Experimental Design

Build a study that can actually answer the question you asked.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 Observation, question, hypothesis
2. 1.2 What makes a hypothesis testable
3. 1.3 Falsification, evidence and theory
4. 1.4 How a scientific claim comes to be accepted
1. 2.1 From a broad interest to a specific question
2. 2.2 Reading the literature to position your question
3. 2.3 Aims, objectives and predictions
4. 2.4 Feasibility, time and resources
1. 3.1 Independent, dependent and controlled variables
2. 3.2 Confounding variables
3. 3.3 Control groups and comparison conditions
4. 3.4 Operational definitions
1. 4.1 Replication, and the trap of pseudoreplication
2. 4.2 Randomisation
3. 4.3 Blocking and paired designs
4. 4.4 Factorial designs and interactions
1. 5.1 Population and sample
2. 5.2 Sampling methods
3. 5.3 Sample size and power in outline
4. 5.4 The bias your sampling introduced
1. 6.1 Choosing what to measure
2. 6.2 Validity and reliability
3. 6.3 Writing a protocol someone else can follow
4. 6.4 Pilot studies
1. 7.1 Internal and external validity
2. 7.2 Observer effects and blinding
3. 7.3 Chance findings and multiple comparisons
4. 7.4 Correlation, causation and mechanism
1. 8.1 Preregistration and analysis plans
2. 8.2 Reproducibility, and the replication problem
3. 8.3 Ethics and approvals
4. 8.4 Reviewing someone else's design critically

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Skills your degree does not cover Employers ask for practical tools alongside the qualification. This fills that gap while you study.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

Bachelor's Degree students in India
Studying: B.Sc. Physics / Chemistry / Mathematics / Biotechnology, Integrated B.Sc.-M.Sc.
Recent graduates strengthening a CV
Anyone working in this field without a formal qualification

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Bachelor's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.