Sure.
Preliminarily, give up any hope of getting wealthy from your research ideas.
First, get some hard-nosed training in statistics and the "real"
sciences, such as math, physics, or chemistry.
Second, somehow, insulate yourself from outside and/or vested interests
by walling yourself off (financially) in an independently funded or
gov't. organization.
Third, divest yourself of any financial links to industry.
Fourth, sit down and REALLY THINK about the problem -(repeat as
necessary through the experiments).
Fifth, most important, make sure you never adopt an affection for any of
your theories, by adopting the method of the Multiple Working
Hypotheses, and paying special attention to the null hypothesis, which
holds that there will be no change in the system because of your
experimental treatments.
Sixth, always, always have control groups randomly mixed in with your tests.
Seventh, or first, if you are clever, talk to a real statistician before
the tests start (hopefully before you spend money setting up a flawed
experiment).
Eighth, expect that your character and bias will be questioned.

Any research which starts out to prove a pet hypothesis has already
prostituted itself, and is only anecdotal.
   - John F. Edwards
formerly with USDA-ARS Bee Lab, Tucson, Arizona (33 years)
now semi-retired (4 years) in the lovely, wet Pacific NW.

[log in to unmask] wrote:

>Would any of you pros out there be able to give us a
>guideline about  how to set up experiments that could
>be replicated?
>We have in the UK and Ireland been trying to get some valid amateur  research
>under way.
>
>

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