Specialist track: Research and Innovation
How to design, run and report a fragrance experiment that someone else could check.
Lessons
Asking a question
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From Curiosity to a Testable Question
Turn a broad curiosity into a research question with defined materials, a measure and a feasible method, and learn when your question isn't worth testing yet.
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Reading Fragrance Research Critically
A method for reading odor science: check what was measured, in whom, at what purity and with what controls, and work out how far a headline's claim extends.
Designing the test
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Controls, Randomization and Blinding
Design a fair fragrance test: real controls, randomized order, coded samples and a person who isn't you holding the key. Includes a worked assignment table.
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Sample Size and Sensory Statistics
How many people do you need? Calculate chance results for triangle and paired tests, see why small tests miss real differences, and report findings honestly.
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Ethics of Testing on People
Volunteers are not test equipment. Learn about consent, safety gates, privacy, who you must not test on, and when a small test needs outside oversight.
Reporting
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Recording and Sharing Data
Keep raw data, a data dictionary and a dated analysis trail, so someone else could check your study. Also covers what to share and what to keep private.
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Writing Up Without Overclaiming
Structure a research report, state results at their real size, separate findings from speculation, and turn common overclaims into accurate, readable sentences.
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Specialist Project: A Small Study
Plan, run and report a small fragrance study from start to finish, with a dated plan, blinded samples, honest numbers and enough detail for someone to check.