What is the best way to get science quickest in career mode?

[n3uva]

For reference, I have done mun, minmus, and eve orbit, landed on mun and minmus, surface base of minmus and also landed on duna, I have got all the science from those places (except the other biomes for duna, minmus and mun.). Help?

[Jupiter3927]

Clear out the biomes on Minmus and you should be able to buy out most of the tech tree.
The further away a planet is from Kerbin, the more points science is worth.

Gilly is very easy to navigate around and it's worth a bit of science.
Try a trip to Dres, it's not too difficult to get to and you should be able to clear out a few biomes.
The extra distance means it's worth more than Duna.

Throw spare science experiments into a science lab and you'll generate science points.
You can only store so much so you'll have to feed it more science eventually.

If you want a challenge, try the Jool system.
There are a lot of high value moons to explore.
The added distance from Kerbin makes mission to Jool pretty lengthy.

[Happy Ant]

Build a minmus lander with some extra delta-v, equip all the science stuff you have access to and that works on minmus surface, make sure you have a scientist on board to reset stuff like mystery goo or SC-9001, go to every biome, do all the science stuff, place all the flags, get all the surface samples, store everything in your pod, fly back to Kerbin, land.

Edit: Flags? Why did I write about flags? I don't know. Forget the flags. Crew reports!

[GunsForBucks]

If you just want your science to be complete so you can explore I would suggest adjusting the science gains when you set the game up.

[red66]

the most important thing i feel with science is the archive in the R&D and each body has biomes.
by this i mean you already visited bodies but go back with newer science eqpt and do more science, dont forget kerbin has lots of biomes ie ice caps, north and south pole, go their with modern tech too, also setup science stations especially Seismometers, put one of them next to your base, then each time you crash a bit of rocket to the ground you will get science point on impact, do that at different biomes then it multiplise - Sorry about spelling.

[Chibbity]

There is enough science in Kerbin's SOI to unlock the entire tree.

[andylaugel]

It helps to pay attention to biomes, and collect what you can from each of them. On my first manned mission in low Kerbin orbit, I'll have my guy collect multiple EVA reports over Water, Shores, Desert, Grasslands, Mountains, Badlands, etc. The Mun has like 17 biomes, Minmus 9. And each building around KSC is its own biome--I'll often make a simple rover out of plane parts and pushed by a Juno jet engine for early science farming.

Any astronaut on EVA can collect data from parts and store them elsewhere. Scientists can reset goo and the materials bay. You only need one of any given instrument, as long as you can go EVA.

[Quizzical]

Don't just land once on a moon. Land in every biome. Land near a boundary between two biomes and you can jump from one to the other to get both with minimal delta-v.

You could also bring multiple experiment storage units in order to bring home multiple copies of whatever experiments you run, which can increase your science points by something like 20% or so, depending on the experiment.

As Chibbity said, there is enough science on Kerbin's moons alone (even excluding Kerbin itself) to unlock the entire tech tree, at least unless you've turned science points way down in the settings.

[Eisbär]

I put a couple of labs on Mun and Minmus. way more science that way than just sending/taking data back with you.

[red66]

alternative (with kerbalism) is have a space station around Kerbin with a lab, and as you come back from places stop off at your space station and drop of the science.