Here is a brief summary of the type of report you would write to
explain your research and the sequence of events that led to your discovery:
"Four
years ago, I tested my theory that the redwoods' roots grow so deep and
wide that they pull their moisture out of the soil far from where the great
trees come out of the ground -- which is why the soil near the trees stay
moist.
"However, two years of research revealed that the redwoods'
roots pull equal amounts of moisture out of the soil from both near the tree
and from the surrounding soil far from their trunks. Although my theory was
disproved, I published the result of my study in a scientific journal in order
to inform other scientists what to expect if they wanted to test a similar
theory.
"Then I developed a theory based on the idea that the soil
near redwoods receives less sunlight than soil further from redwoods; and
less sunlight means soil will not dry as quickly and will stay moist. However,
before testing this theory, I read a report in a scientific journal by a respected
colleague and learned that her research had already disproved a similar theory.
"Two
years ago, I developed a third theory, and the results of my research indicate
that I have solved the mystery. I noticed that the atmosphere in the redwood
forest is often foggy, and as fog is water vapor, I thought perhaps the fog
has something to do with the high moisture concentration in the ground near
the big trees. I measured the moisture levels of soil near the redwoods before,
during and after foggy days, and found that those levels increased
with the fog. I discovered that the redwoods' bark actually traps fog
and then irrigates the ground below. Finally, the mystery is solved!"