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Science Research and the Process of
Science
Research is the process by which people create new knowledge about
themselves or the world in which they live in order to answer a
question or solve a problem. When choosing your topic, give
careful thought to how your research might enhance the world and
its inhabitants.
Questioning is probably the most important part of scientific creativity and is often followed by an "if...then" statement. Questioning usually leads to experiments or observations.
Good scientists, both young and old, use a process to study what they see in the world. By following the six stages listed below, you should be able to produce a superior scientific experiment:
1) Be curious, choose a limited subject, ask a question; identify
or originate/define a problem.*
2) Review published materials related to your problem or question.
3) Evaluate possible solutions and make your educated guess (hypothesis).
4) Challenge and test your hypothesis through experimentation (data collection) and analysis.
5) Evaluate the results of your experiment and reach conclusions
based on your data.
6) Prepare your report and exhibit.
Students should learn to be skeptical of all research results,
especially their own. A good experiment may or may not answer the
questions asked, but almost always leads to fresh questions
requiring new experiments or observations. The final hypothesis is
often developed after one has run a number of preliminary
experiments, analyzed a body of results, and reached a tentative
conclusion.
*All projects need sponsor approval; some projects need SRC/IRB
approval prior to experimentation. All projects require the
Checklist for Adult Sponsor, Research Plan (lA), Approval Form
(1B), and an abstract. To confirm that further paperwork prior to
experimentation beyond these forms is not needed be sure to
consult the International Rules for Pre-college Science Research:
Guidelines for Science & Engineering Fairs. If not attached,
the International Rules are available from your Science
Teacher/Department Chairperson/Fair Director.
The rules are also available on the Science Service website at: www.sciserv.org.
Goals of Engineering
Scientists try to understand how nature works, engineers create
things that never were. An engineering project should state the
engineering goals, the development process and the evaluation of
improvements. Engineering projects may include the following
steps:
1) Define a need.
2) Develop design criteria.
3) Search literature to see what has already been done.
4) Prepare preliminary designs.
5) Build and test a prototype.
6) Retest and redesign as necessary.
Getting Started
1) Pick Your Topic. Get an idea of what you want to study. Ideas
might come from hobbies or problems you see that need solutions.
Due to limited time and resources, you may want to study only one
or two specific events.
2) Research Your Topic. Go to the library or internet and learn
everything you can on your topic. Observe related events. Gather
existing information on your topic. Look for unexplained or
unexpected results. Also, talk to professionals in the field,
write or email the companies for specific information, and obtain
or construct needed equipment.
3) Organize. Organize everything you have learned about your
topic. At this point you should narrow your hypothesis by focusing
on a particular idea. Your library research should help you.
4) Make a Timetable. Choose a topic that not only interests you,
but can be done in the amount of time you have. Use a calendar to
identify important dates. Leave time to fill out the forms and to
review the Research Plan with your Sponsor. Certain projects
require more time because they need prior Scientific Review
Committee (SRC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
Allow plenty of time to experiment and collect data - even simple
experiments do not always go as you might expect the first time or
even the second time. Also leave time to write a paper and put
together an exhibit.
5) Plan Your Experiments. Once you have a feasible project idea,
write a research plan. This plan should explain how you will do
your experiments and exactly what it will involve. All students
participating in the Intel ISEF and affiliated fairs are required
to complete the Checklist for Adult Sponsor, Research Plan (1A)
and Approval Form (1B).
6) Consult Your Adult Sponsor. You are required to discuss your
research plan with an Adult Sponsor and obtain a signature of
approval. In reviewing Research Plan (lA), your Sponsor should
determine if additional forms and/or IRB/SRC prior approval is
needed.
7) Conduct Your Experiments. Give careful thought to experimental
design. During experimentation, keep detailed notes of each and
every experiment, measurement, and observation. Do not rely on
your memory. Remember to change only one variable at a time when
experimenting, and make sure to include control experiments in
which none of the variables are changed. Make sure you include
sufficient numbers of test subjects in both control and
experimental groups. A group must have five or more subjects to be
statistically valid.
8) Examine Your Results. When you complete your experiments,
examine and organize your findings. Did your experiments give you
the expected results? Why or why not? Was your experiment
performed with the exact same steps each time? Are there other
explanations that you had not considered or observed? Were there
errors in your observations? Remember that understanding errors
and reporting that a suspected variable did not change the results
can be valuable information. If possible, statistically analyze
your data.
9) Draw Conclusions. Which variables are important? Did you
collect enough data? Do you need to conduct more experimentation?
Keep an open mind - never alter results to fit a theory. If your
results do not support your original hypothesis, you still have
accomplished successful scientific research. An experiment is done
to prove or disprove an hypothesis.
Elements
of a Successful Project
1) PROJECT DATA BOOK
A project data book is your
most treasured piece of work. Accurate and detailed notes make a
logical and winning project. Good notes show consistency and
thoroughness to the judges, and will help you when writing your
research paper.
2)
ABSTRACT
After finishing research and
experimentation. you are required to write a (maximum) 250-word,
one-page abstract. An abstract should include the (a) purpose of
the experiment, (b) procedures used, (c) data, and (d)
conclusions. It also may include any possible research
applications. Only minimal reference to previous work may be
included. The abstract should focus on work done since the last
fair and should not include: a) acknowledgments, or b) work or
procedures done by the mentor. See below for an example of an
appropriately written abstract. See page 33 of the International
Rules for the proper formatting of an Official Intel ISEF
Abstract.
Abstract must be displayed on the upper left of the board. Additional
copies may be left at the site, if the student desires.
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Student name is permitted at the Local and State Fair
NAME OF SCHOOL AND TEACHER ARE NOT PERMITTED.
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Sample
Abstract
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Effects
of Marine Engine Exhaust Water on Algae
Jones. Mary E.
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This project in its present form is the result of
bioassay
experimentation
on the effects of two-cycle marine engine exhaust
water on certain
green algae. The initial idea was to determine the
toxicity of
outboard engine lubricant. Some success with lubricants
eventually led
to the formulation of "synthetic" exhaust water
which,
in turn, led to
the use of actual two-cycle engine exhaust water as the
test substance.
Toxicity
was determined by means of the standard bottle or
"batch" bioassay technique. Scenedermus
quadricauda and Ankistrodesmus sp. were used as the
test organisms. Toxicity was
measured in
terms of a decrease in the maximum standing crop. The
effective concentration - 50% (EC50) for Scenedermus
quadricauda was found to be 3.75% exhaust water: for
Ankistrodesmus sp. 3.1 % exhaust water using the bottle
technique.
Anomalies in growth curves raised the
suspicion that evaporation
was affecting the results; therefore, a flow-through
system was improvised utilizing the characteristics of a
device called a Biomonitor. Use of a Biomonitor lessened
the influence of evaporation,
and the EC 50 was found to be 1.4% exhaust water using
Ankistrodesmus sp. as the test organism. Mixed populations
of
various algae
gave an EC 50 of 1.28% exhaust water.
The contributions of this project
are twofold. First, the toxicity
of two-cycle
marine engine exhaust was found to be considerably
greater than
reported in the literature (1.4% vs. 4.2%). Secondly, the
benefits of a flow-through bioassay technique utilizing
the
Biomonitor
was demonstrated.
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3)
RESEARCH PAPER
A research paper should be prepared and available along with a project data book, and any necessary forms or relevant written materials. A research paper helps organize data as well as thoughts. A good paper includes the following sections:
a) Title Page. Center the project title. DO NOT put your name, address, school, or grade on title page.
b) Table of Contents. Include a page number for the beginning of each section.
c) Introduction. The introduction sets the scene for your report. The introduction includes your hypothesis, an explanation of what prompted your research, and what you hoped to achieve.
d) DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, SCHOOL, OR GRADE ANYWHERE ON THE PROJECT MATERIALS.
e) Experiment. Describe in detail the methodology used to collect your data or make your observations. Your report should be detailed enough so that someone would be able to repeat the experiment from the information in your paper. Include detailed photographs or drawings of self-designed equipment. Only include this year's work.
f) Discussion. The discussion is the essence of your paper. The results and conclusions should flow smoothly and logically from your data. Be thorough. Allow your readers to see your train of thought, letting them know exactly what you did. Compare your results with theoretical values, published data, commonly held beliefs, and/or expected results. Include a discussion of possible errors. How did the data vary between repeated observations of similar events? How were your results affected by uncontrolled events? What would you do differently if you repeated this project? What other experiments should be conducted?
g) Conclusion. Briefly summarize your results. Be specific, do not generalize. Never introduce anything in the conclusion that has not already been discussed.
h) Acknowledgments. You should always credit those who assisted you, including individuals, businesses, and educational or research institutions. Identify any financial support or material donations received, but do not put on display board.
i) References. Your reference list should include any documentation that is not your own (i.e., books, journal articles). See an appropriate reference in your discipline for format.
ex: Foley, J.D. (1987). Interfaces for Advanced Computing. "Scientific American," 257: 127-135
4) VISUAL DISPLAY
You want to attract and inform. Make it easy for interested spectators and judges to assess your study and the results you have obtained. Make the most of your space using clear and concise displays. Make headings stand out, and draw graphs and diagrams clearly and label them correctly.
Maximum
Size of Project at the Intel ISEF
30 inches (76 centimeters) deep
48 inches (122 centimeters) wide
108 inches (274 centimeters) high including table (29
inches)
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Leave
your glassware and chemicals at home!
Helpful
Hints for Display:
a) Make sure the display reflects the current year's work only.
b) A Good Title
Your title is an extremely important attention-grabber. A good title should simply and accurately present your research. The title should make the casual observer want to know more. Your title should not be more than eight words.
c) Take Photographs
Many projects involve elements that may not be safely exhibited at the fair, but are an important part of the project. You might want to take photographs of important parts/phases of your experiment to use in your display. Photographs or other visual images of human test subjects must have informed consent (Form 4B).
d) Be Organized
Make sure your display is logically presented and easy to read. A glance should permit anyone (particularly the judges) to locate quickly the title, experiments, results, and conclusions. When you arrange your display, imagine that you are seeing it for the first time.
e) Eye-Catching
Make your display stand out. Use neat, colorful headings, charts, and graphs to present your project. Home-built equipment, construction paper, and colored markers are excellent for project displays. Pay special attention to the labeling of graphs, charts, diagrams, and tables. Each item must have a descriptive title. Anyone should be able to understand the visuals without further explanation.
f) Correctly Presented and Well-Constructed
Be sure to adhere to the size limitations and safety rules when preparing your display. Display all required forms for your project. Make sure your display is sturdy, as it will need to remain intact for quite a while. Do not hesitate to ask for advice from adults if you need it.
Judging
Judges evaluate and focus on 1) what the student did in the current year; 2) how well a student followed the scientific methodologies; 3) the detail and accuracy of research as documented in the data book; and 4) whether experimental procedures were used in the best possible way.
Judges look for well thought-out research. They look at how significant your project is in its field, as well as how thorough you were. Did you leave something out? Did you start with four experiments and finish only three?
Judges applaud those students who can speak freely and confidently about their work. They are not interested in memorized speeches - they simply want to TALK with you about your research to see if you have a good grasp of your project from start to finish. Besides asking the obvious questions, judges often ask questions to test your insight into your projects such as "What was your role?" "What didn't you do?" "What would be your next step?"
INTEL
ISEF JUDGING CRITERIA (points)
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Individual |
Team |
| Creative
Ability |
30 |
25 |
| Scientific
Thought and
Engineering Goals |
30 |
25 |
| Thoroughness |
15 |
12 |
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Skill |
15 |
12 |
| Clarity |
10 |
10 |
| Teamwork |
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16 |
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Patent and Copyright
Information
You may want to consider applying for a patent or copyright if you want to protect your work. You can contact the Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Patent Office, at 703/305-8341 for Patent information or the Library of Congress at 202/707-3000 for copyright information.
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