Science Fair Guide to Background Research, Note Cards, and
Research Paper
Background Research
Why the Need for Background Research?
In order to design an experiment, you need to research what techniques and equipment
might be best for investigating your topic. Rather than starting from scratch, you will want
to use the library and Internet research to help find the best way to do things. You want to
learn from the experience of others rather than repeat their mistakes.
Background research is also important to help you understand the theory behind your
experiment. In other words, science fair judges like to see that you understand why your
experiment turns out the way it does. You do the library and Internet research so that you
can make a prediction of what will occur in your experiment, and then whether that
prediction is right or wrong, you will have the knowledge to understand what caused the
behavior you observed.
What am I researching?
The background research will need to include key definitions and explanations of concepts,
history of similar experiments, mathematical formulas with explanations you will need to
describe the results of your experiment, and answers to any research questions. See the
steps below:
Steps to Follow When Conducting Research:
1. Identify the keywords in the question for your science fair project. Brainstorm additional
keywords and concepts.
2. Use a table with the "question words" (why, how, who, what, when, where) to generate
research questions from your keywords. Throw out irrelevant questions.
For example:
What is the difference between a series and parallel circuit?
When does a plant grow the most, during the day or night?
Where is the focal point of a lens?
How does a java applet work?
Why are moths attracted to light?
Which cleaning products kill the most bacteria?
2. Add to your background research plan a list of mathematical formulas or equations (if
any) that you will need to describe the results of your experiment.
3. You should also plan to do background research on the history of similar experiments or
inventions.
Note Taking
How do I document my research?
As you read the information, you will want to take notes. You will be taking notes on index
cards. Each card contains the source number at the top right and the key word or topic at
the top left. Key points are listed or quoted underneath about one idea. The page number is
listed at he bottom right.
Key Word/Topic
Source Number
Summarized Facts about idea and/or “direct quote
about idea. “
Page Number
You will need enough note cards for a research paper of between 1-1.5 pages (typed,
double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font)
At minimum you should have 15 index cards.
At minimum you will need 3 different sources. At least one must be a written source of
information about your topic from a book, encyclopedia, or periodical. You may have
additional information from credible sources on the Internet.
You will document your sources using a number system. You will record bibliographic
information about each source on the Bibliography Worksheet.
Research Paper
What is the Purpose of the Research Paper?
The purpose of your research paper is to give you the information to understand why your
experiment turns out the way it does. The research paper should include all the
information you wrote on your note cards. Remember this should include the key
definitions and explanations of concepts, history of similar experiments, any mathematical
formulas you will need to describe the results of your experiment, and answers to any
research questions.
What is the written layout of the paper?
Your paper should begin with an introductory paragraph. The first sentence needs to hook
the reader and can begin with an interesting fact, statistic, or story. Then follow with
information about your project including why it is important and what you are testing.
The main body of your paper covers the information from your research on your note
cards. Elaborate on the information you discovered!!
Your last paragraph is your concluding paragraph. This summarizes all the important
concepts from the paper in a new way. Relate back to your first sentence of the paper if
possible.
Remember this is a research paper, so it needs to be written in 3rd person, meaning do not
use “I”, “you”, or “me” in your writing.
What are the formatting requirements?
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Page Margins: 1” all sides
Font: 12 pt. Times New Roman
Spacing: Double Spaced (including citations and Works Cited Page)
Heading: On the first page in the upper left corner, place on separate lines, double
spaced: Your Name and Date
Title: Underneath heading, center the title, which is you Science Fair Question. Use
regular title capitalization rules and no underline. Start the report immediately
below the title.
Required Length: Typed, double-spaced 1-1.5 pages
How do I document my sources within my paper?
For every fact in your research paper you should follow it with a citation telling the reader
where you found the information. For a book, a citation is the last name of the author and
the page number all in parentheses (Last Name of Author Page Number). If it is a citation
from a website and no page number is available then just list the author’s last name in
parentheses. See the Reference Citation Format below for more special circumstances.
Its purpose is to document a source briefly, clearly, and accurately. Remember, if you copy
text from one of your sources directly, place it in quotations marks in addition to following
it with a citation. Be sure you understand and avoid plagiarism!
Type of Citation
Work by a single author
Direct quote of work by single
author
Work by two authors
Work by three to five authors
(first time)
Parenthetical Reference
MLA Format (Author - page)
(Bloggs 37)
(Bloggs 37)
(Bloggs and Smith 37)
(Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, and Harlow
183-185)
Work by six or more author
(Harris et al. 99)
Two or more works by the same
author
(Berndt, Shortened First Book Title 221)
then
(Berndt, Shortened 2nd Book Title 68)
Two or more works in the same
parentheses
(Berndt 221; Harlow 99)
Authors with same last name
(E. Johnson 99)
Work does not have an author, cite
the source by its title
(Book Title 44) or
(Shortened Book Title 44)
How do I document my sources at the end of my paper?
Following your paper, you will type your Works Cited Page, which lists all your sources
used in your paper. The format is to center the title Works Cited at the top of the page.
Then list all the sources used in your paper in alphabetical order by the author’s last name
and include the required information you recorded on your Bibliography Handout. If the
author's name is unknown, alphabetize by the title, ignoring any A, An, or The. Use the
information below to cite each source using the proper MLA format.
Format Examples
Books
Format:
Author's last name, first name. Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing
company, publication date.
Examples:
Allen, Thomas B. Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society,
1974.
Boorstin, Daniel J. The Creators: A History of the Heroes of the Imagination. New York: Random, 1992.
Hall, Donald, ed. The Oxford Book of American Literacy Anecdotes. New York: Oxford UP, 1981.
Searles, Baird, and Martin Last. A Reader's Guide to Science Fiction. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 1979.
Toomer, Jean. Cane. Ed. Darwin T. Turner. New York: Norton, 1988.
Encyclopedia & Dictionary
Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Title of Article." Title of Encyclopedia. Date.
Note: If the dictionary or encyclopedia arranges articles alphabetically, you may omit volume and
page numbers.
Examples:
"Azimuthal Equidistant Projection." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. 1993.
Pettingill, Olin Sewall, Jr. "Falcon and Falconry." World Book Encyclopedia. 1980.
Tobias, Richard. "Thurber, James." Encyclopedia Americana. 1991 ed.
Magazine & Newspaper Articles
Format:
Author's last name, first name. "Article title." Periodical title Volume # Date: inclusive pages.
Note: If an edition is named on the masthead, add a comma after the date and specify the edition.
Examples:
Hall, Trish. "IQ Scores Are Up, and Psychologists Wonder Why." New York Times 24 Feb. 1998, late ed.:
F1+.
Kalette, Denise. "California Town Counts Down to Big Quake." USA Today 9 21 July 1986: sec. A: 1.
Kanfer, Stefan. "Heard Any Good Books Lately?" Time 113 21 July 1986: 71-72.
Trillin, Calvin. "Culture Shopping." New Yorker 15 Feb. 1993: 48-51.
Website or Webpage
Format:
Author's last name, first name (if available). "Title of work within a project or database." Title of site,
project, or database. Editor (if available). Electronic publication information (Date of publication or
of the latest update, and name of any sponsoring institution or organization). Date of access and
<full URL>.
Note: If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available.
Examples:
Devitt, Terry. "Lightning injures four at music festival." The Why? Files. 2 Aug. 2001. 23 Jan. 2002
<http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html>.
Dove, Rita. "Lady Freedom among Us." The Electronic Text Center. Ed. David Seaman. 1998. Alderman
Lib., U of Virginia. 19 June 1998 <http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/afam.html>.
Lancashire, Ian. Homepage. 28 Mar. 2002. 15 May 2002 <http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~ian/>.
Levy, Steven. "Great Minds, Great Ideas." Newsweek 27 May 2002. 10 June 2002
<http://www.msnbc.com/news/754336.asp>.
What does a finished Works Cited Page Look Like?
Works Cited
"Battery." Encyclopedia Britannica. 1990.
"Best Batteries." Consumer Reports Magazine 32 Dec. 1994: 71-72.
Booth, Steven A. "High-Drain Alkaline AA-Batteries." Popular Electronics 62 Jan. 1999: 58.
Brain, Marshall. "How Batteries Work." howstuffworks. 1 Aug. 2006
<http://home.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm>.
"Cells and Batteries." The DK Science Encyclopedia. 1993.
Dell, R. M., and D. A. J. Rand. Understanding Batteries. Cambridge, UK: The Royal Society of Chemistry,
2001.
"Learning Center." Energizer. Eveready Battery Company, Inc. 1 Aug. 2006
<http://www.energizer.com/learning/default.asp>.
"Learning Centre." Duracell. The Gillette Company. 31 July 2006
<http://www.duracell.com/au/main/pages/learning-centre-what-is-a-battery.asp>.
*Background research, note-taking, and citation information was modified from www. sciencebuddies.com.