For the record...
Way back when I vented about having to stop my jay experiments due to potential conflict with another student. People were refreshingly supportive, and I figure I should make some mention of how it all turned out.
Well, great!!
I held off for a week, then asked my advisor/other student to let me run trials in areas with near-zilch chance of interfering with trapping efforts. As the season progressed more of these spaces opened up and I quietly, persistently added to my test subjects.
In the end I went from 24 birds (when I was asked to stop) to 52 birds (stopped because the breeding season started). The numbers I had for the previous experiments were 58-60 so WOW THAT WAS WORTHWHILE. I am so glad I didn't give up on my data collection (but I did try to accommodate the other student's needs). The analysis still awaits, so hopefully I have something interesting to say after all that fuss.
Sometimes it's knowing which battles to pick, sometimes just when to pick them.
Many thanks to everyone who sympathized with my research plight.
Well, great!!
I held off for a week, then asked my advisor/other student to let me run trials in areas with near-zilch chance of interfering with trapping efforts. As the season progressed more of these spaces opened up and I quietly, persistently added to my test subjects.
In the end I went from 24 birds (when I was asked to stop) to 52 birds (stopped because the breeding season started). The numbers I had for the previous experiments were 58-60 so WOW THAT WAS WORTHWHILE. I am so glad I didn't give up on my data collection (but I did try to accommodate the other student's needs). The analysis still awaits, so hopefully I have something interesting to say after all that fuss.
Sometimes it's knowing which battles to pick, sometimes just when to pick them.
Many thanks to everyone who sympathized with my research plight.