Imagine you get a computer and you want to do something on it, perhaps using your word processor and spreadsheet software. This is what someone does is this story when they print a form to fill in every day of their own data, they data enter it and analyse it to make scientific discoveries or improve their own life. Sounds like research but he had no training in doing research. His friends encourage him or some do and some don't. In the end, he has to decide if he does it and if he goes it alone. Time will tell if anything comes of it.