Draft Method Project Introduction

The goal of the Methods Project is to explore the importance of explicit, detailed and concise writing when composing a scientific paper. Scientific writing must reflect these qualities in order for replication of experiments and analyses to take place by other interested scientists. The methods project demonstrates how the smallest omission of important information can lead to large differences in results of an experiment. The figure created for the methods project details Calliandra haematocephala, the Powder Puff Tree, and its indigenous locations throughout the world. The exhibit of the Powder Puff Tree at the University of Massachusetts is very easy to spot, and contains only one tree with a very small number of blooms. For these reasons, this tree was believed to be a one of the best options on campus to complete this project with accurate replication. The limited number of blooms offered little room to choose an incorrect flower, and the corner placement of the tree in the conservatory made it very simple to photograph the tree from the same angle. Additionally, the limited amount of countries the tree is found to be indigenous in limits the amount of error in missing a country on the map portion of the figure. Controlling for these factors allows for a more accurate and analogous replication for the figure of Calliandra haematocephala.