Study Design

Designing a water monitoring study begins with identifying what question you are trying to answer. For example:

• Are you trying to fill data gaps to determine stream health?
• Do you want to know if it is safe to swim at the local lake?
• Do you want to determine if local land uses are impacting the quality of nearby waterways?

Knowing the right question will help determine which parameters and protocols will be included in your monitoring program. Developing a clear study design is important to the success of any monitoring program. Your study design will address when, how, and why you are collecting the data. It will also ensure that everyone in your group is working towards the same goals. Furthermore, it will allow outside data users to understand the purpose of your monitoring program and determine if the quality of the data you collect is sufficient for their intended use as well as your own. By clearly identifying your purpose for data collection, you will be better able to determine what types of data, data collection methods, and quality controls are necessary to achieve that purpose. USEPA has provided some useful tips in their Citizen Science Study Design Guide.