Is this the right answer?

Abstract

The idea that practical work in science is aimed at getting the right answer is strongly ingrained in practice and thinking, particularly those of students. While there are several different purposes for doing practical work, and hence several different kinds of practical work, the pressure to get the ‘right answer’ can affect what students, and teachers do. This paper looks at this issue and discusses two views of manipulation of data done by scientists/teachers, one of which is done for fraudulent purposes while the other is done for simplification. The paper also looks at the assumptions made by students and pressures which lead them to fudge their results. We suggest ways of dealing with these problems by looking inwards at the nature of the subject and trying to understand what constitutes good practice, and by looking outwards at the pressures, particularly those of examinations, which influence practice.