Research Questions & Gaps
What is the primary purpose of the golf ball research project: to explore new territory, explain existing phenomena, or create a product?
To explain, specifically, how golf ball flight behavior and design (like dimples and core structure) influence amateur golfer preferences.
In the strawberry study, how were exogenous monosaccharides introduced to test their effect on winter root development?
Honey solutions of varying concentrations were applied to strawberry roots to test if they could replicate the effects of chemical fertilizers during winter dormancy.
What conclusion did the golf researcher draw about amateur golfers’ preferences regarding ball flight patterns?
That amateur golfers with a handicap over 15 preferred balls with high, straight trajectories and vertical warping, which helped them better control the ball.
What cultural bias did the golf researcher identify regarding ball design trends in the market?
The “Tiger Woods Effect” is a marketing bias in which companies design balls based on professional preferences, neglecting the needs of amateurs.
What is alignment in AP Research, and how did the golf project demonstrate it clearly?
Alignment is the logical connection between research question, method, and conclusion. The golf project showed this by tying survey results directly into experimental design and analysis.
What gap in amateur golf equipment does the researcher attempt to address in the golf ball study?
The lack of ball options with flight and design features tailored to amateur golfers, leading to poor performance and disengagement.
Why did the golf ball researcher use a two-part mixed-method approach (survey and experimental testing)?
To first identify the preferences of amateur golfers via surveys and then validate those preferences by measuring real-world ball flight performance under controlled conditions.
What data in the strawberry study supported the effectiveness of honey as a fertilizer alternative?
The researcher observed increased root length, color vibrancy, and density in plants treated with 10% honey compared to controls, indicating honey enhanced growth.
What assumption limited the generalizability of the golf ball study's findings?
The assumption that all amateur golfers with handicaps >15 have similar preferences, without accounting for age, gender, or playing experience.
How does the strawberry research reflect a potential solution to modern agricultural problems?
It shows that natural sugars like honey could serve as low-cost, eco-friendly fertilizers, reducing reliance on chemicals during off-season growth.
How does the golf research question meet all six AP Research criteria (focused topic, purpose, scope, variables, value, feasibility)?
It focuses on ball flight/design, aims to understand amateur preference, limits scope to handicaps >15, analyzes flight/design vs. preference, offers value for product design, and is feasible using surveys and test swings.
In what ways were the strawberry plants’ responses to honey treatments measured?
Using visual tracking of root growth, leaf coloration, and soil resistance during uprooting to determine strength and density.
What role did the control golf ball play in the ball flight experiments?
It allowed comparison across tests to ensure that any changes in trajectory were due to ball design, not random factors.
What methodological problem did the golf researcher initially encounter, and how was it resolved?
Inconsistent manual ball spinning caused unreliable results, which was fixed by constructing a drill-powered launcher for uniform motion.
How did each paper demonstrate clear communication of the research process to the reader?
Both papers walked the reader step-by-step through the rationale, methods, data, and findings, making the logic behind the conclusions easy to follow.
What is the primary gap being investigated in the strawberry study and why is it important?
The lack of eco-friendly, biologically safe winter fertilizers. The study seeks to prove that natural honey can help plants grow when commercial fertilizers are unavailable or unsustainable.
Why did the strawberry researcher choose to conduct their experiment during winter months?
To test the hypothesis that honey could enhance root growth during a season when natural growth is stunted due to cold and lack of photosynthesis.
Were the data collected in the golf study directly relevant to the research question? Why or why not?
Yes, survey data revealed preferences, and experimental tests confirmed which designs actually matched those preferences under controlled trials.
What sampling limitation did both researchers face, and how did it affect their results?
Both had small, demographically narrow samples 91 participants in golf, 22 in strawberries, limiting the ability to generalize findings.
As a cold reader, what helped you understand and trust the research findings in both studies?
Detailed explanations of methods, honest acknowledgment of limitations, and consistent alignment between their questions, methods, and conclusions.
Which project used both quantitative (measured outcomes) and qualitative (preference or visual data) evidence to close its gap?
The golf ball study used survey preferences (qualitative) and flight data (quantitative) to understand what amateur golfers want and why.
What experimental flaw did the strawberry researcher recognize about honey concentration, and how did they address it?
Honey may contain varying natural sugars and enzymes. The researcher diluted it to 5%, 10%, and 15% concentrations to control for extremes and improve replicability.
How did the golf researcher validate their results using statistics?
They used a 2-sample t-test to compare control vs. test ball flights, confirming that observed differences in trajectory were statistically significant.
Why is it important that the strawberry researcher mentioned honey’s inconsistency as a limitation?
Because natural honey varies between sources, the researcher’s recognition prevents overgeneralizing the findings across all strawberry crops or seasons
What broader impacts can each project have if their findings are applied in real life?
Golf: Equipment companies can better serve amateurs.
Strawberries: Farmers can reduce costs and environmental harm by using honey-based fertilizers.