St. Charles School
Student Science Fair Handbook
version2015.1
Page 1 of 22
Recommended Timeline for Completing Your Science
Fair Project:
September: Complete project question, hypothesis and initial research. Start keeping a
science journal to record notes throughout your project, including observations, research
notes, measurements, sketches and diagrams. Your background research should be
summarized in a page or more, as this will be a part of your display board. Remember to
keep track of your references.
Fill out student project proposals for projects involving human subjects (including surveys),
tissues, vertebrate animals, and hazardous chemicals. Have your Science Fair Mentor review the
form and they will have it signed for you. Submit the forms for pre-approval to the Science
Review Committee (SRC) for any science projects involving the materials mentioned above.
October: Propose an experimental design. Determine what materials you will need, what
kind of data will be collected and how will that data be displayed. Collect materials, and
build anything that needs building. You may need to do a couple of “scouting” experiments
before you settle in on the best set of experiments to conduct. Meanwhile continue
researching.
November: Conduct experiments. Collect data both quantitative (numbers and
measurements) and qualitative (observations).
December: Analyze your data, draw conclusions, make graphs, diagrams, run more
experimentation and do more background research if needed.
January: Write up all the components of your display board and prepare your Abstract.
The St. Charles School Science Fair
version2015.1
Page 2 of 22
Welcome to the St. Charles School Science Fair!
We are so excited to have you on board as a student scientist and are looking forward to
working with you all!!!
Our Science Fair guidelines, which are in aligned with the San Mateo County STEM and the
California State Science Fairs, are provided below. Please read and review the bullets
below and let us know if you have any questions.






The St. Charles School Science Fair is open to all students in the District in grades 58.
Each project will be conducted by either an individual student. The science fair
project will be an original project.
All projects must be completed at home by the student. Parents and science fair
mentors can provide advice, but they cannot and will not do the project for the
student.
Finalists from the St. Charles School Science Fair may qualify to go on to the San
Mateo County STEM Fair. Finalists from the County Science Fair may then qualify to
go on to the Bay Area Science Fair and/or the California State Science Fair.
Original work will be submitted, no plagiarism is tolerated.
Science Fair Projects can be used as a basis for ROPES projects for those 6th and 8th
grade students who are considering completing both projects. The project cannot be
the exact same project,but can be an extension of their original project and must fit
in to one of the ROPES categories.
Note: The Bay Area Science Fair only accepts individual projects from 7th - 12th grades.
The State Science Fair accepts projects from individuals and teams of students in 6th - 12th
grades. The 5th grade projects can be submitted to the San Mateo County STEM Fair, but
they may not be eligible for awards – but are eligible for Special Company-Based Awards.
version2015.1
Page 3 of 22
Types of Science Fair Projects
All science begins with wonderment. In order to start the process of coming up with a project
that is interesting to you, make a list of things that you are curious about.
It is very important to choose a topic in which you are genuinely interested. The topic may be
one related to a long-time hobby or something entirely new for which you would like to have a
better understanding. Some scientific displays such as collections, illustrations, demonstrations
or models are NOT science fair projects. You need to be able to derive an essential question
about your topic. This question will end up driving your research.
Listed below are four types of science fair projects for you to think about followed by the Project
Categories that we will use to classify all of the projects that are submitted to the Fair.
A Science Research Project is one way of asking a question and answering it via the scientific
method. One recent winning project asked, “What frequency of sound wave would travel
through water with the least intensity?”
An Engineering Project uses scientific principles to improve or create new applications for
people to use. The project may be theoretical or an experimental study on a model.
Computer Projects may deal with innovative programming, designing or improving
applications, or improving hardware. An existing program may be improved to run faster and
use less memory.
A Mathematics Project deals with math not usually covered in your classroom. The project
should represent a new point of view of a known topic.
Project Categories 1
Your project will be submitted in a particular category at the science fair to enable judging
of your project among projects in the same category. If you already know what your project
is going to be, you can find the project category below that best fits your project. If you are
still deciding on a project, you can consider finding a category description that peaks your
interest and think about a project in that category.
The project categories listed below are aligned with the San Mateo County STEM Fair and
the Next Generation Science Standards. They are also compatible with San Francisco Bay
version2015.1
Page 4 of 22
Area Science Fair categories and the California State Science Fair categories. For more
information on the California Common Core Standards, see: http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/
Physical Sciences:
Physical Science is the study of non-living things. It is the study of the physical world
around you.
1. Physics – The physical laws of matter, energy and the fundamental forces of nature
that govern the interactions between particles and physical entities (such as planets,
molecules, atoms or the subatomic particles). Quantifying physical bodies and their
motion, dynamics etc. The study of motion, force, energy, waves
(electromagnetism), aerodynamics, and hydrodynamics.
Examples: The Chaotic Pendulum. The Effect of Fins on Water Rocket Stability. Why I
Would Weigh Less on Mars.
2. Chemistry – Is built upon concepts from physics and addresses phenomena
associated with the structure, composition and energetics of matter as well as the
changes it undergoes. Chemistry connects the fundamental laws of physics to
engineering and other natural sciences such as biology, earth science, astronomy
and material science. It includes the study of chemical reactions in solutions and
solids, chemical equilibrium, chemical stability, thermodynamics, non-biological and
inorganic chemistries.
Examples: Conductivity of Electrolytes, Does Water Purity Affect Surface Tension?
Isolation, Purification, and Specific Rotation of Determination of Ricinoleic Acid
Engineering, Technology, and Applied Sciences:
This category covers projects that are built or designed to solve problems or improve on
something. Engineering is the systematic practice of solving problems in the human-made
world. These are all applied sciences.
3. Engineering and Technology - Involves defining problems in terms of criteria and
constraints, researching the problem to better understand the design requirements,
generating and testing possible designs and technologies, and refining the product
through re-design. These types of studies generally are iterative. Includes product
science comparing consumer oriented applications, prototype designs, structural
engineering and analyses, mechanical inventions, and renewable resources.
Examples: How Do Buildings Made From Concrete Compare to Wood During an
Earthquake? Constructing and Testing a Model Solar Desalination System. Which
Kitchen Floor Covering Has the Least Friction and the Greatest Possible Shine?
version2015.1
Page 5 of 22
4. Materials Science – The relationship between chemical structure and the
properties of materials, a study of the physical properties of materials,
characterization of materials, optimizing material properties to produce commercial
products. This is an applied science.
Examples: Can Foam Make Steel Bridges Stronger? Does the Cooling Rate of Metals
Affect How Strong They Are? How to Make the Smoothest Fudge. The Effect of
Temperature on Superconductivity of Metals. Can You Make Car Tires That Will Last
Forever?
Mathematics and Software:
5. Mathematics and Software - Projects that solve and attempt to solve complex or
sophisticated mathematical problems, including those involving computers.
Includes the study of computer sciences, geometry, topology, morphology, number
theory, algorithm analyses, modeling and simulation, artificial intelligence,
programming environments and languages.
Examples: The use of Check Digits in Commerce. Graphical Explanations to the
Pythagorean Theory. The Four Color Problem. Develop a "Successive Sum" Theory of
Pascal's Triangle.
Life Sciences:
6. Biological Systems – Biology is the study of living systems. It is a natural science
concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure,
function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. It covers studies of
pharmaceutical products, heredity, molecular biology, microbiology, botany, and
zoology.
Examples: Determination of Orange Juice Using a Redox Reaction. Vitamin
Deficiencies. Transpiration of Plants Under Different Light Sources. Bean Plant
Growth in Various Nutrient-Deficient Soils. Analysis of Lawn Seed Germination at
Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall Temperatures.
7. Behavioral Sciences – Behavioral sciences includes all the disciplines that explore
the activities of and interactions among organisms in the natural world. It involves
the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behavior through
controlled and naturalistic observation, and disciplined scientific experimentation.
It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous
formulations and observation. Examples of behavioral sciences include psychology,
psychobiology, and cognitive science.
version2015.1
Page 6 of 22
Examples: A Study of Senses in Stress Management. AIDS awareness in Teens. Does
Age Affect Implicit Learning? Insect Learning - How Many Trials Are Necessary for
Crickets to Learn a Simple Maze?
Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences
8. Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences – The study of earth, its ecosystems
and processes, and our solar system. Includes the study of weather, astronomy,
rocks and minerals, tides and waves, oceanography, beach san fluctuations and cliff
erosion, solar flares and activity, solar power, and recyling.
Examples: The Effects of Fire on Flora and Fauna. Solar Activity and Impact on
Geosynchronous Satellites. The Dependence of Liquefaction Upon Soil Composition.
Getting Started
Just about everything in scientific method starts with a question. Usually, scientists come
up with questions by looking at the world around them. "Hey look! What's that? How does
that work?” Scientists are like detectives, looking for answers to their questions and, just
like detectives, scientists need evidence. For a scientist this evidence comes from
experimental observations.
Once you have the scientific question you are interested in, you will need to research the
topic. One of the cool things about science is that other scientists can learn things from
what has already been done. They don't have to go out and test everything again. It is worth
spending time researching your topic since this will help define the question and help you
design your experiments to try and answer this question.
Often your first scientific question is too broad and as a result might be difficult to test with
a simple experiment or a series of experiments. Instead, the scientist will come up with a
testable “hypothesis” (a guess of what might happen under a certain experimental
procedure or observation). For example, your question might be “what is the effect of
temperature on plant growth?” This is a fair question but very broad! Your testable
hypothesis might be “plants will grow taller at room temperature than when placed in 5
degrees C (temperature of a refrigerator)”. This hypothesis is easy to test with a simple
experiment and the observations from this experiment will help to define your next
hypothesis and design further experiments to address the bigger question.
Refer to this link to the California State Science Fair for all sorts of websites with project
ideas: http://usc.edu/CSSF/Resources/GettingStarted.html
version2015.1
Page 7 of 22
version2015.1
Page 8 of 22
The Science Fair Project Components
Project Title:
This can be a catchy phrase or title that relates to the project or it can be more formal and
stated as the scientific question. Do not worry about finding the perfect title in the
beginning of your project: a catchy title may come to you as you perform your experiment!
Sometimes it is best to finalize your topic once you are done with the research and
experiments. Refer to Workshop #1 for some ideas on how to get started.
Purpose:
Why are you doing these experiments and why are they interesting to others? Or what is
the question! If you wrote a scientific question as your title, then restate the question as a
statement and you will have your purpose. For example, if your QUESTION was “Will a
bean seed grow faster in sunlight, artificial light, or darkness?” you would change it to “The
purpose of this project is to find out if a bean seed will grow faster in sunlight, artificial
light, or darkness.”
Introduction/Background Research:
The introduction provides the background and context to the scientific questions. You need
to write a few paragraphs on background information regarding your topic. You should
plan to use at least 3 references and then be sure to cite those references in the Reference
section on the display board.
A good project requires that you do some background research and try to learn the science
behind your particular topic. Read about what others have done and how they did their
work to help you form ideas for your project AND how to design your experiments. You
should not even begin to do an experiment until you have adequately done some
background research. (See how to cite your sources in the Reference Section of the
Handbook).
Hypothesis:
Now that you have done a good job with background research, it is time to state what you
think will happen in the experiment and why. A hypothesis is an educated guess as to how
you think your experiment will turn out and why you think it will have the results you
predict. If you have not done any background research, you cannot make an educated
guess or hypothesis. Also, you may need to take a bit of time to run some simple scouting
experiments before you finalize your hypothesis. Don’t forget, your hypothesis needs to be
“testable”.
version2015.1
Page 9 of 22
Planning for and Designing Your Experiments
Before you go any further, we need to learn more about How to Design Your
Experiments.
In order to design your experiments, you will need to think carefully about what kind
of data you will need to generate in order to determine if you hypothesis is correct or
not. You also need to ensure that you have ways to accurately measure and record
your data. Experimental controls and/or reference standards are important
components of your experimental design. They help you understand whether or not
the results you get are due to the impact of the variable you changed or not. Using the
right experimental design and experimental controls and/or reference standards helps
make your research scientifically credible. Your experiments need to be planned out
before your begin your work. Remember to keep in simple!
Before you invest a great deal of time and effort in your experiments, you should play
around with some ideas and run some small experiments to try out your experimental
method and technique. We call these experiments “scouting” experiments and they
help you determine whether or not you can even do what you want to do in the
timeframe you have. The scouting experiments also allow you to happen to work the
“bugs” out of your idea before you can conduct the “official” experiment that you have
planned.
An example; say you are interested in determining what the best food is for grass in
your yard. You do some research and find out that grass grows well in slightly acidic
conditions. Therefore you come up with a hypothesis that grass will grow better when
you “water” it with vinegar than if you “water” it with goat’s milk. Therefore your
scouting experiment(s) would be to water the grass with vinegar and goat’s milk over
time and seeing if you see anything happen. How long does it take to see a change?
Can you measure the change? How much do you need to “water” the grass? By the
way, what do you think is a good control for this experiment?
Remember, when you design your experiments, change ONE variable at a time in each
set of experiments so you can see what the impact of the change is. Also, you will need
to run replicate experiments to be more certain of your results. Replicates also add to
the scientific credibility of your work. Plan on running each experiment at least 3
times – more might even be better if you have a very variable subject that you are
studying (like plants).
Your experimental plan will be outlined in your Procedure Section and all of the
materials you will use for your experiments will be listed in the Materials Section of
your poster.
version2015.1
Page 10 of 22
Materials:
In this section of your poster, you will list all the materials used in your experiments. Be
specific and detailed with types of materials, sizes, and quantities. Write out your materials
list so that someone unfamiliar with your project could read your list and exactly duplicate
your materials.
Here are some websites that you can visit for supplies:
Science Buddies Approved Suppliers
Science Stuff Website
Procedures:
This is the description for the actual experiment(s) you did. How did you do the
experiment(s)? How did you design your experiments?
Diagrams, photographs and clear, detailed, step-by-step instructions are critical to getting
this section correct. Someone should be able to read your procedure and materials list and
then be able to do your experiment exactly the way you did it and end up with similar
results. Plan to conduct repeat your experiment at least three times, but more is better.
Also be open to the idea you may have to completely redo your experiment! Give yourself
lots of time for learning and repeating or refining your study. This is what research is all
about, so don’t get frustrated.
*Note: If taking photographs, leave out any faces or labels that may identify you or your
assistant. Photographs with people’s faces or names are not allowed on your final poster
and will need to be blocked out.
Data Analysis:
Once you have generated your data, it is time to analyze your results. You do this by organizing
your data in tables and graphs. These are tools that will allow you and others see trends in your
data. It is easier from some people to see data trends in a graph instead of a table, but use both
formats on your board – tables for “raw data” and graphs for showing trends. Remember that
numbers with no units of measure do not say anything.
Tables:
You use tables to collect and organize your data all in one place. The table will contain all of the
data in rows and columns. Organize your data by each experiment data set. You can do this in
rows or columns. For instance, for the grass growing experiment mentioned above, you can
tabulate the grass height as a function of time using a table. You can label the first column with
time and the next 3 columns each with the specific “watering solution” you used on the grass
(e.g., vinegar, goat’s milk, and water (your control)). The table would contain the height
version2015.1
Page 11 of 22
measured from each experiment at each time point listed in the first column. Don’t forget to give
the table a descriptive name and state what units you are using (e.g., days and centimeters).
Numbers don’t mean anything without units!
Tables are also a very useful format for generating means and standard deviations. These
statistical calculations also tell you about how reproducible your data are within an experimental
data set (remember, you should do each experiment at least 3 times; more for plants).
Graphs:
Graphics provide a pictorial way to show comparisons and see trends – more than you can
generally see from a table. Decide the type(s) of graph(s) most effective to display your data: bar
graphs, pie charts and/or line graphs. The independent variable (e.g., time) is graphed on the
vertical (y) axis and the dependent variable (e.g., height) is graphed on the horizontal (x) axis.
Label each axis and include the unit of measurement. Just like tables, all graphs must have a
descriptive title.
If you are not sure what graph is saying or you cannot see the trend you expected to see,
you may either need to do more experimenting by running the experiment longer to get
more data, or prepare a different kind of graph! Remember they call this re-search for a
reason!
Your tables and graphs will be placed in the center section of the poster board below your
Materials and Procedures sections. Don’t forget to add pictures of your experimental set-up too!
Results:
In this section of your poster, you will discuss both your quantitative and qualitative
experimental results.
Qualitative Results:
These are the data you measured from your experiments and put into tables and graphs.
Describe how you sorted the data into tables and the graphs you prepared. If you did do
some statistics (by calculating the means and standard deviations), discuss the
observations you made based on the statistics. Refer to the tables and graphs you made by
their titles.
Qualitative Results:
These are your observations; what you saw, and what you noticed as you were observing
your experiments. You describe these observations using words and pictures or photos.
Sometimes observations include things that may not be exactly part of the experiment but
may affect the results such as spilling materials, wind, temperature, condensation,
imperfections in the materials, to name a few. Also, sometimes strange things happen in
version2015.1
Page 12 of 22
your experiment that you did not anticipate such as mold growth on your soil. Remember
to jot down your observations in your science journal. You don’t need to put ALL of your
observations into the section, but you should include the ones that are mostly likely
relevant to how you interpreted your results.
Discussion:
This is the place on your poster that gives you a chance to tell what you learned from your
data – it is where you get a chance to tell your story. Discussion sections are usually are a
few paragraphs long.
In this section, explain what the quantitative and qualitative experimental results you
showed off in the Results Section mean. This is your opportunity to explain what the
numbers mean and what your observations suggest. You will probably need to refer to the
research you did in your Introduction/Background Information Section to begin to
understand your results.2
Start by taking a good hard look at your experimental results. Are there scientific theories
that you read about when doing your background research that you can use to explain your
results? If there isn’t anything in your current version of your Introduction/Background
Information Section, do some more background research. If you find something that helps
you better understand your results, add this information to your Introduction/Background
Information Section. Compare your results to any theories you read about and what other
people observed.
Discuss the trends you observed in your graphs, or even point out the lack of trending
observed. Explain why you think the trends are there and if they match up with what you
read about and discussed in your Introduction/Background Information Section.
Discuss any statistics you calculated from your data. Were your data very reproducible or
not? Discuss the limitations of the data, sources of error, possible ways to improve on your
experimentation.
Conclusion:
In this section you restate your hypothesis and then conclude if your results agreed or
disagreed with your original hypothesis. You will support your conclusion with the
significant pieces of data you identified in the Discussion Section. By using your
experimental results to explain your conclusions, you are increasing your scientific
credibility. Explain what you learned and why you think you got the experimental results
You can always do more reading and update your Introduction/Background Information
Section once you see your data. There are always surprises!
2
version2015.1
Page 13 of 22
you did. Agreeing with or disagreeing with your hypothesis does not mean you were
correct or incorrect! If a hypothesis is disproved that is still good science.
Sometimes you will find that your experiments didn’t point to any clear conclusion – they
were inconclusive. It happens all the time. This does not mean that you did a bad job, it
just means that you may have to go back and try it a different way!
Discuss any mistakes you might have made and what you learned from these mistakes.
What obstacles did you have to overcome to get your results?
Finally, discuss what follow-up experiments would you like to do in order to try to better
understand this area of research you have been studying.
version2015.1
Page 14 of 22
Examples of Conclusions statements:
1. My hypothesis that the beetles would be more likely to move to the darkened area was
strongly supported by the results. It would be interesting to repeat this experiment with mini
darkling beetles (Tenebrio obscurus) to see if they act in a similar way.
2. Before doing the experiment, I thought iron would be a better conductor of electricity than
silver. My results indicate the opposite. The results do not support my hypothesis. Next
time, I would like to see if copper is also a better conductor than iron.
3. After reviewing my results, I could find no consistent pattern in my data. There was no clear
advantage or disadvantage to doing homework while listening to Justin Bieber songs. My
hypothesis that it would be helpful was not supported by the results. It might be useful to try
again, substituting another kind of music, such as rap or jazz.
References:
Cite at least 3 credible sources. Try to have your sources be current. Periodicals, books
and the Internet, as well as experts in the field that may be interviewed are all good
reference sources. Don’t use Wikipedia as a main reference; instead review the references
listed on the Wiki page and use the main source as a reference. Formats for different types
of references are provided at the end of this Handbook.
version2015.1
Page 15 of 22
Science Fair Project Display Guidelines
The project should be displayed on a project board that is a tri-fold and does not exceed the
dimensions of 48 inches wide by 30 inches deep by 6.5 feet high (where height is measured
from the table top). Most students use a standard tri-fold board, which is 36 inches high by
48 inches wide. Some students like to stack their boards so their displays are very tall. You
can do this, but do not make your display higher than 6.5 foot above the table it will sit on.
Also, your project will need to fit in a spot that is 36 to 39 inches wide – so tri-fold boards
will need to be folded in on the sides. The project can be smaller than these dimensions
and tri-fold poster boards available at stores such as Office Depot. The board color can be
selected by the student scientist.
The project board should be organized according to the suggested graphic below.
Project Board Organization
Science journals and your abstract may be displayed in front of the project.
No names or photos of participants should be visible on the project display or any
component of the project. This includes your science journal and abstract, as well as the
poster board itself.
version2015.1
Page 16 of 22
The poster is the main criteria that will be judged for projects. If the student scientist feels
it is necessary to display part of the experiment or results (for instance, if your project is an
Engineering/Technology project) the following guidelines must be adhered to. The actual
scientific set-up is not necessary for the judges to adequately judge the science fair project.
Photos should be used if at all possible. The following guidelines must be adhered to: NO
EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
Experiment Display Guidelines:











Projects requiring electricity may be displayed but not plugged in. Judges, however,
may ask for a demonstration during the interview.
No liquid of any kind should be included in project displays. Please substitute
photographs or drawings instead. If there are sample liquid displays, they need to
be empty.
Controlled substances, hazardous materials or sources of open flames cannot be
exhibited or used in any project. Also, no unsecured glassware.
Valuable items, such as special equipment, cameras, computers, recorders,
microscopes will NOT be allowed to be displayed. Please use photographs or
drawings to illustrate use.
No hypodermic needles or syringes can be displayed.
Live animals, mounted birds, mammals, or any stuffed specimen will not be allowed
in displays. Projects that use animals should substitute pictures or drawings for the
display. Bones and teeth are acceptable if they are clean and free of decaying
matter. (Note bones are not acceptable if your project advances to the Bay Area
Science Fair).
If plants are displayed, they should be completely covered and sealed. This includes
the growing medium as well as the plants themselves.
Protists, fungi, and bacteria may not be exhibited. Photos or drawings may be used
instead.
Gravel, sand and dirt must be tightly enclosed and sealed securely if displayed.
All entrants are responsible for the installation, maintenance, and the removal of
their projects. No tapings, securing or gluing display or items to the tables, as
projects need to remain moveable.
A research notebook is optional at the St. Charles School Science Fair and the San
Mateo County Science Fair, but is highly encouraged. It is required at the Bay Area
Science Fair and the State Science Fair.
version2015.1
Page 17 of 22
Studies with Animals
Projects that include the use of animals or humans (including surveys) must follow the
Science Fair guidelines established by the State Humane Association of California. If your
project involves humans (including surveys) or animals, you will need to fill out the SRC
form and have each human subject fill out an informed consent form. For 7th and 8th
graders going on to Bay Area Science Fair and the CA State Science Fair, the Special Project
Proposal Forms is required. However, we will require all St. Charles School student
scientists that fall into this category fill out the SRC forms. It is a good learning experience
and gives the student scientist and opportunity to learn about restrictions scientists face
when working with animals and human subjects.
The forms must be filled out prior to experimentation for possible project entry into the
Bay Area Science Fair. Mrs. Shimshock will notify you if you need to fill these out.
version2015.1
Page 18 of 22
Common Mistakes of Science Fair Projects
Before continuing a project, the student should check to avoid common mistakes of science fair
projects:
 Generating a hypothesis without doing the background research. In order to write a
testable hypothesis, you need to understand what has been done in the area you are
working in.
 Jumping to a conclusion based on a single observation or test. There is often a tendency
to try something once, see what happens, and draw a conclusion from it. How many
times did Jonas Salk test his polio vaccine before it could be used? Results must be
verified by repeated experiments. Increasing the number of replicates also increases
your ability to scientifically credible.
 Failing to include a control in the experiment design. Part of finding out what will
happen to the growth of bean seeds if they are fertilized is to also find out what happens
if they are not fertilized. The unfertilized seeds are the control part of the experiment.
 Failing to recognize and/or control variables. Not only must experiments be repeated
many times over, but also variables must be controlled in the same way each time if the
results are to be reliable.
 Changing too many variables at once. Remember to change only one variable at a time.
Later on, after you take statistics, we can show you how to do designed experiments that
change multiple variables at a time in a controlled manner (e.g., factorial design
experiments). But for now, keep it simple!!!
 Not keeping complete and/or accurate records. Reminder, all data must be considered.
A successful project’s data does not have to support the hypothesis. Science involves a
lot of paperwork. Keeping good records while doing a science project involves reading,
writing, spelling, and composition. Teflon was invented a full 30 years after DuPont
first created it in a laboratory, because he kept accurate records that were easy to read
and understand.
In general, science projects must embody those characteristics that yield reliable results. It must
be done carefully with attention to detail.
version2015.1
Page 19 of 22
The Interview:
As part of the judging process, finalist students will be asked to explain their project to judges.
We strongly recommend that you don’t just repeat your abstract. Organize and plan what will be
said to the judges in the personal interview.
The judges will want to know:
1. Who you are…Introduce yourself and your project title and the topic you are studying
2. Discuss why you are interested in the topic (fitting in some background information and
the purpose of the work)
3. State your hypothesis (link this to the background research you did)
4. Describe the experiments you did
5. Describe the results you obtained
6. Was your hypothesis correct? If not, why do you think your results didn't match up?
7. Describe any future research you would do related to this topic
8. You should be able to explain all data and graphs etc.
9. Did the student receive help and if so, how much?
Give the judges as much information as possible. Be enthusiastic! An interview should be fun
and allows you to show off what you know! The judges are experts in their fields and the
interview may also be an opportunity to learn more about a subject.
version2015.1
Page 20 of 22
Bibliographic Formats
BOOKS
SINGLE AUTHOR
Author (Last Name, First Name). Title of Book. City: Publishing Company, Date.
Duggan, Alfred. The Castle Book. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1991.
BOOK BY TWO OR MORE AUTHORS
First Author (Last Name, First Name) and Second Author (First Name, Last Name. Title of
Book. City: Publishing Company, Date.
Jacobson, Morris K. and Rosemary K. Pang. Wonders of Sponges. New York: Dodd, Mead,
1997.
ENCYCLOPEDIAS
"Title of Article." Complete Title of Encyclopedia, year.
"Laser," World Book Encyclopedia, 1995.
PERIODICALS
JOURNAL ARTICLE WITH AUTHOR
Author (Last Name, First Name). "Title of Article." Title of Journal. Volume or Edition
(Month and Year of Publication), page(s).
Severy, Merle. "The World of Bees." National Geographic. 172 (November 1997), 552.
JOURNAL ARTICLE WITHOUT AUTHOR
"Title of Article." Title of Journal. Volume or Edition (Month and Year of Publication)
page(s).
"New Human Life." Science News. 132 (December 26, 1994), 391.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WITH AUTHOR
Author (Last Name, First Name). "Title of Article." Title of Newspaper. Date.
Anderson, Jack. "Nuclear Regulators." Rocky Mountain News. January 5, 1998.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WITHOUT AUTHOR
"Title of Article." Title of Newspaper. Date.
"Asian Nations Putting Pressure on France." New York Times, July 30, 1995.
version2015.1
Page 21 of 22
ELECTRONIC SOURCES
CD ROM
"Name of Article." Complete Title of Encyclopedia or Program. City: Publishing
Company, Date.
"Astronomy." Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia. Danbury: Grolier Electronic Publishing
Co., 195.
WWW SITES
Author (Last Name, First Name). "Title of Work. " Date posted on WWW (Latest date
if available). Protocol//and full address (date you obtained information).
Burka, Lauren P. "Hypertext History." 1992. httyp://www.ccs.new.edu/home/lpd/mud
(Dec. 5, 1994).
OTHER SOURCES
INTERVIEW
Last Name, First Name. Interview. Interview location. City, Sate, Month, Day, Year.
Romer, Roy. Interview. Governor's mansion. Denver, Colorado, Dec. 2, 1997.
VIDEOTAPE
Title of Program. City: Production or Publishing company. Date, Type of Media.
Joan of Arc; A Portrait of a Legend. New York: Vid American, Inc. 1985. Videocassette.
TV PROGRAM
Title of Program. Station. Month, Day, Year, City, State. Type of Program.
USA Tonight. CBS, Dec. 4, 1997. New York City: New York. Television broadcast.
version2015.1
Page 22 of 22