Make an observation.

Take a photo of it with your phone. Apply cool looking image filter, tweak with selective blurring, and then share via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, your blog, etc.

Provide a trite but punchy comment that explains your observation. This is your hypothesis. OMG!

Wait for comments. This begins peer review.

Break time! Catch up on celebrity gossip!

Keep waiting for comments. Don’t take lack of interest personally. Try to feel better by repeating to yourself, “I do this because science is important, I do this because science is important…”

Retake photo, or better yet, record a video. This time, make sure a funny cat happens to be in the frame of view. Alternatively, modify your hypothesis by including weak references to pithy teen pop stars of your choice.

Post this video hypothesis on YouTube. Hope for it to go viral. Under no circumstance, do you acknowledge the fact that the word “viral” originally referred to a biological concept and not to computers.

Break time! Catch up on celebrity gossip!

You get comments! You feel validated, and decide to upgrade your phone and/or possibly adopt a cat. This is your technology investment. LOL!

Skim comments, paying attention only to comments from people with attractive profile pictures. This is your data.

Apparently, data is very confusing and occasionally rude. WTF? Nod knowingly to yourself that research is hard, frustratingly incremental, but important nevertheless. Make animated gif of yourself nodding knowingly. Post this on Tumblr.

Break time! Catch up on celebrity gossip!

Data is still confusing? #facepalm Attempt to re-assess ideas by consulting transcriptions from the likes of Dr. Oz, Jenny McCarthy, and/or your local politician. Consider this expert peer review.

And if all else fails, try googling.

Break time! Catch up on celebrity gossip!

Repeat until consensus is formed. FTW!