Table 1.

Our definition of the construct “thinking like a scientist” based on prior studies and consensus of an expert panel of PhD-level scientists

Element	Description	Agreement in prior literature
Make discoveries	Scientists formulate questions, make observations, collect data, analyze and interpret data, test hypotheses, and draw conclusions.	Druger et al., 2004; Hunter et al., 2007; Hurtado et al., 2009; Etkina and Planinši, 2014
Make connections between seemingly unconnected phenomena	Scientists are able to think in multiple ways and design multiple types of experiments to test the same idea. New ideas often result from thinking differently. Science is not a linear process.	Hunter et al., 2007
Critically evaluate data with skepticism	Scientists critique both their own experiments and the experiments of others. There is the need to repeat experiments to see whether more evidence backs up a claim; one experiment is not enough.	Druger et al., 2004; Hunter et al., 2007
Seek opportunities to share their findings and communicate with others	Scientists present their work to others in the form of scientific posters, oral presentations, and written reports. Communication of their interpretations to the broader community is important, because scientists are working toward common goals.	Hurtado et al., 2009