Science Fair Background

Research Paper

Create a TitleRelates to experiment

The reader should be able to tell what your experiment is about by looking at the title.

You may have a subtitle.

1. Intro/Rationale• Why did you choose your experiment?

Why is your experiment important scientifically?

How will your experiment impact or relate to society?

• Engineering Goals

What problem does your project solve?

2. Question/Hypothesis• What is your experiment?

This is your research question with the IV and DV.

• How do you think your experiment will work?

This is your hypothesis: What you expect to happen; If IV, then DV.

• Engineering Goals

What problem does your project solve?

• Does your background research enable you to make a prediction of what will occur in your experiment?

3. Background Research

What is the science behind your experiment?

Include early researchers and/or key discoveries.

What are relevant terms, concepts, and background?

What are current theories, facts, data, relevant mathematics/equations (if applicable)?

4. Describe Data Collection Procedures

What will you need?

Materials, Sample Size, Trials, etc.

What are your procedures?

Paragraph form/ Not bulleted or numbered.

How will you collect and organize data in a data table?

5. Describe Data Analysis Procedures

How will you graph and analyze your data?

What math is necessary (if applicable)?

6. Safety Considerations

What are the potential risks and safety precautions needed?

Or, describe why your experiment does not have safety risks.

7. Conclusion

Restate your hypothesis.

Briefly summarize your experiment.

What else do you think is important?

8. Bibliography!!List at least 5 websites as you visit and use them.

example: science journals, books, internet sites

Use in text parentheses and works cited

Use MLA format

www.citationmachine.net/

www.bibme.org/

*Subject Specific ONLY: Human Participants

Participants

Who is participating? (age, gender, race, etc.) Where and how will you find and invite? What will they do and for how long? (survey, questionnaire, tests) What are the risks and how will you minimize? What are the benefits?

Protection of Privacy

Will any identifiable info be collected? Will data be confidential/ anonymous? How ill you collect and store data for confidentiality.

Informed Consent

How will you tell participants about purpose of study, what to do, and voluntary participation?

*Subject Specific ONLY: Vertebrate Animal

Alternatives

What are some potential alternatives to animal use? Present justification to animal use. What is the potential contribution of research?

Experimental Procedures

How will you minimize discomfort, pain, distress, injury? What and how much chemicals are being used? Give details on numbers, species, strain, sex, age, source, etc.

How will animal be cared for? What will happen after experiment?

*Subject Specific ONLY: Hazardous Biological Agents

Describe Biosafety Level Assessment process and resultant BSL determination

What is the source of agent, source of specific cell line, ect.?

What are your safety precautions?

How will you dispose?

*Subject Specific ONLY: Hazardous chemicals, activities, and devices

What are the risk assessments and results?

What are the chemical concentrations and drug dosages?

What are the safety precautions and procedures to minimize risk?

How will you dispose?