Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Analytical Methods • Reference Standards • Detection Limit

Control Variables

Term from Scientific Research industry explained for recruiters

Control variables are factors in research studies that scientists keep constant to ensure their experiments are accurate and reliable. Think of them as the things researchers carefully manage so they don't accidentally affect their results. For example, if someone is testing a new plant fertilizer, they would keep things like temperature, water amount, and sunlight the same for all plants – these are the control variables. Understanding and managing control variables is a fundamental skill in scientific research, similar to following a detailed recipe where changing even small things could affect the final result.

Examples in Resumes

Designed experiments with proper Control Variables to study drug effectiveness

Managed multiple Control Variables in climate change research studies

Successfully identified and maintained Control Variables in behavioral psychology experiments

Typical job title: "Research Scientists"

Also try searching for:

Research Associate Laboratory Scientist Experimental Researcher Clinical Research Coordinator Research Assistant Scientific Research Manager Lab Technician

Where to Find Research Scientists

Professional Organizations

Job Boards

Online Resources

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you determine which variables need to be controlled in a complex research study?

Expected Answer: A senior researcher should explain their systematic approach to identifying potential confounding factors, risk assessment methods, and how they use previous research experience to anticipate which variables might affect results.

Q: Describe a situation where controlling variables was particularly challenging. How did you handle it?

Expected Answer: They should share a specific example demonstrating their problem-solving abilities, including how they identified the issue, developed solutions, and ensured research validity despite complications.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What methods do you use to document and track control variables in your experiments?

Expected Answer: Should explain their system for recording and monitoring experimental conditions, including use of lab notebooks, digital tools, and how they ensure other team members can understand and follow their protocols.

Q: How do you handle situations where a control variable becomes compromised during an experiment?

Expected Answer: Should describe their decision-making process for determining whether to continue or restart an experiment, and how they document and report such incidents.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What is a control variable and why is it important in research?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate basic understanding of how control variables help ensure experiment validity and provide simple examples of control variables in basic experiments.

Q: How do you identify control variables in a simple experiment?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic process of recognizing which factors need to be kept constant and why, using straightforward examples like temperature or time.