Author:
Pfahler V.,Adu-Gyamfi J.,Tamburini F.
Abstract
AbstractTo plan a research study, one needs to (1) establish a research question, (2) make a set of observations, (3) form a hypothesis in an attempt to explain the observations and (4) test the hypothesis based on the data collected. The following questions should be addressed when designing a study including the analysis of δ18OP: (i) what is the research hypothesis? (ii) what is the main objective of the study? (iii) what are the aims to address these objectives? and (iv) which techniques are appropriate to address such research question. In addition, one needs to consider (1) which kind of samples needs to be collected, e.g. soil, vegetation or water? (2) in case of soil and sediment samples, which sampling depths and increments need to be sampled? (3) which P pools need to be extracted and analysed for the corresponding δ18OP values? (4) when and how often should samples be taken and (5) how many samples can be processed per week?
Publisher
Springer International Publishing