Reflection: Methods

The methods project was the most difficult project assigned. I thought that it was difficult because it introduced the idea of precise scientific writing and the procedure on how to write a proper methods section. The project had several components including; thinking of a figure to photograph, collecting the digital elements for the figure, creating the figure, constructing the methods section, following someone elses methods, and analyzing the results from someone elses methods and yours. Because the project had several components, being able to effectively organize and plan ahead were essential and was where I struggled. I would consider the methods section of a research paper to be one of the main components and also one of the most elaborate sections of a paper. I learned from writing the methods that you need to be clear and concise with every component of your procedure, but you want to explain what you did instead of giving directions. Comparing the two creations of multipanel figures made this clear as there were multiple differences when looking at the two figures.