GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A SCIENCE PAPER

1) CHOOSE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM or question in science, which you can investigate thoroughly. Ideas may come from magazines, scientific papers, technical journals, newspapers, books, teachers, science fair projects or scientists.

Depending on your grade level, you may undertake a variety of projects. The most interesting type is the experimental project, where you try to reach conclusions through data obtained in laboratory or field experiments. Simply building something or collecting something without drawing significant conclusions does not make a science project.

Note: While an extensive search of literature is important, your paper should not be a report of what you’ve read, but rather of your individual work or experimentation and how it fits into other work that has already been done.

Your goal is to answer a scientific question of interest to you through experimentation, research and methods employed by professional scientists. Originality is encouraged and is demonstrated by your approach and the way you solve your problem and answer your question.

2) STUDY THE PROBLEM CAREFULLY by thinking through each step. Make specific plans using the scientific method to explore your ideas. Try to anticipate problems, which might arise, but don’t be stopped by the thought of them. A good paper requires time.

3) PREPARE A RESEARCH OUTLINE. Begin with a statement describing the purpose of your paper. Then, using outline form list the steps you plan to take in conducting your research. Your outline should indicate how you plan to move from your premise to your conclusion. Include enough details so the reader can clearly understand your problem and approach to finding a solution. Conclude your outline with a list of resources you plan to consult as references in conducting your research. These references may be human, written or audiovisual. The research outlines will be reviewed by a selection committee and evaluated according to the following criteria.

a) Originality in the choice of the research concept.

b) Suitability of research design for achieving research objectives.

c) Clarity of research outline in communicating research intentions.

d) Suitability of resources or references.

4) READ WIDELY. Your success with a science paper depends largely upon how well you know your subject. Extensive reading broadens your understanding of the possibilities and limitations of your paper. Search your school library and the university, college or specialized libraries in your area for publications in your project field. Librarians will help you find science books, technical journals and other printed matter that contain background information about your problem. All advances in science are made possible by work done before. Take notes on your reading in order to incorporate the information into your science paper. Be sure to include the names of the resource author, book and publisher.

5) QUESTION OTHERS. Scientists draw heavily upon the knowledge of others in their own and related fields. Professional scientists and technicians are always glad to help answer your questions if you follow simple rules of courtesy such as questioning them when they have time to answer, and only when they have time to answer, and only when you have done enough reading and thinking to be able to ask intelligent questions. Do not write to a scientist or organization asking them to send you everything they have on some subject, nor expect them to develop your paper for you. Students are urged to use our mentor program as one method of questioning others.

6) PLAN AND CARRY OUT experiments or calculations to help answer the question under study. Accurately record in your research notes all of your ideas, methods, observations and calculations. Record unsuccessful attempts also. Even this information has scientific value.

7) WRITE YOUR PAPER! Papers should be prepared on 8 1/2 X 11 inch pages stapled in the top left corner. No covers please. The cover sheet should include the title of your paper, your name and school. Your paper should adhere to the following structure format of abstracts and presentations:

a) Background of study (what’s been done before, what you were trying to find out or investigate, and why)

b) Your predictions and hypotheses

c) Description of project (how you went about doing your work – including key data you used in drawing your conclusions, any special problems you encountered, acknowledgements of major help received)

d) Results (including conclusions and / or recommendations)

e) Discussion (practical and theoretical significance of the research – why is it or might it be important)

f) Acknowledgments, references

Note: Use visual aids to illustrate your paper. Significant materials should be displayed in a logical manner, which can be clearly understood.

8) WRITE AN INFORMATIONAL ABSTRACT of no more than 75 words. Allow space between lines for editing; in other words, double space if typing your abstract. The abstracts are printed in a booklet to be handed out at the symposium. Usually an abstract is not prepared until after the paper has been written, but you will have to write it early if you have not completed your paper by the abstract deadline.

An information abstract summarizes a paper’s key content in one condensed paragraph. It identifies the motivation for the paper, the method used to research the topic, and states any conclusions drawn. (Note: If you have not drawn any conclusions at the time of your abstract writing, please state the fact.) Details should be explained in the paper, not in the abstract. An abstract is usually the most widely read section of a paper. Individuals researching a topic often skim the abstract to determine how much, if any, of a paper to read. The abstract should deal with the subject and not your feelings about your relation to it. In other words, omit first person pronouns and words related to feelings, such as:

. “My project deals with…”,

. “I hope to show…”,

. “My hypothesis is…”,

. “… a strong interest of mine” and so on.

For example of abstracts, go to the library and look at the beginning of papers in technical journals.

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