Concept Research: from hobby to something more?

Hi everyone, I have a concept I'd like to research, in my own time, on my own expense, but if it works as well as I think it might, I'd like to keep the door open to going formal with it. I have 2 questions. At the "hobby" stage, is there anything I should keep in mind in my approach to the problem or my methods that would be useful for later on? Also, what are my options if i get results that support my theory? Thanks.

2Scoops

You should have a specific hypothesis you want to test and a fully thought-out study design before you start anything else. You should also thoroughly research the issue to see what is already known (your question may have been answered already!). It might be a good idea to contact a good scientist who works in this area for counsel.

If you get the results that support your theory, you have a few options. It you think you can make a profit from your discoveries, a patent may be in order. If you want to share your findings with the world, you can publish it in a peer-reviewed journal where scientists will scrutinize your study design and results, ask questions or offer suggestions to improve your work.