How to Complete a Science Project

What is a Science project?

A science project is an independent study of a particular topic that uses the scientific method in
order to answer a specific question about how or why something is being impacted in our
world.

A science project is a science experiment. An experiment is a very specific type of science

investigation. In an experiment, the researcher tests just one condition and sees what effect it
will have on a test subject. The researcher can only make changes to that one, specific
condition. Everything else in the experiment has to stay exactly the same for every trial, or else
the experiment is not valid (fair).

1. Get an Idea for Your Science Project

Science is all around you. You use force and motion concepts when you ride your bike to
school. You are impacted by the weather. Eating is a part of life processes. A science project
is hiding inside everything that you do in your life. Start by asking “What if?” questions. For
example, as you are riding your bike, think about what would happen if you had a bike with
larger wheels, or smaller wheels. How would that change the speed you could go? That’s the
start of a science project. Look around your world. Think about the things that you enjoy. Then
start researching your favorite science topics to help you find a question that interests you.
Talk over the list with your family, teacher or friends.

There are six categories in the science division of the Science and Engineering Fair:
● Animal Sciences​ - This category addresses the study of all aspects of animals
(including humans) and animal life, animal life cycles, and animal interactions with one
another or with their environment. It also includes the study of the thought processes
and behavior of humans and other animals in their interactions with the environment.
Many scientists work in the field of animal sciences. Some of them include:
○ physiology
○ animal ecology
○ mammalogy (mammals)
○ entomology (insects)
○ ichthyology (fish)
○ ornithology (birds)
○ herpetology (reptiles and amphibians)
○ neurobiology (brain research)

● Plant Sciences​ - This category includes any project dealing with plants and how they
live. If plants interest you, these are some of the careers you might choose:
○ agriculture/aquaculture
 ○ growth and development
○ ecology
○ genetics/breeding
○ physiology

● Microbiology​ - The microbiology category covers the study of microorganisms,

including bacteria, fungi, prokaryotes, and simple eukaryotes, as well as antimicrobial
substances. Microbiologists might study some of the following fields:
○ antimicrobial
○ applied microbiology
○ bacteriology
○ environmental microbiology
○ microbial genetics

● Earth and Environmental Sciences​ - This category focuses on Earth and the
environment. It also includes meteorology and climate sciences. Possible fields in this
category are:
○ atmospheric science and meteorology (weather)
○ climate science
○ environmental effects on ecosystem
○ geosciences
○ water science

● Chemistry​ - Studies exploring the science of the composition, structure, properties, and
reactions of matter not involving biochemical systems are included in the Chemistry
category. Chemistry careers include:
○ environmental chemistry
○ inorganic chemistry
○ materials chemistry
○ organic chemistry
○ physical chemistry

● Physics and Astronomy​ - Physics is the science of matter and energy and of the
interactions between the two. Astronomy is the study of anything in the universe beyond
the Earth. This category would also include studies of renewable energy structures
(wind or hydroelectric turbine, photovoltaic cell, etc.) and/or processes, including energy
production and efficiency. In this category, some possible career fields are:
○ optical physics
○ astronomy and cosmology
○ biological physics
○ astrophysics
○ instrumentation
 ○ magnetics and electromagnetics
○ mechanics
○ optics, lasers
○ renewable power sources: hydroelectric, solar, thermal, wind

2. Start a Scientist’s Log Book

A detailed Scientist’s Log Book with accurate records allows scientists to describe their
investigations so others can repeat it and try to replicate the results. A bound notebook (such
as a “composition notebook”) is the best for a Log Book because it is a “legal document”. A
scientist’s log book can be used to show timelines and dates. This could help the scientist
prove that the results are not copies from someone else. For this reason, the book should be
written in ink and mistakes should not be erased. Don’t worry about mistakes. Just put one line
through it so they can still be read. This information could possibly be used at another time.

Setting Up Your Scientist’s Log Book: Divide the Log Book into two sections:
● In the ​Daily Work​ section, write down all the things you do or think about concerning
your project each day. ​Make sure you date every entry.​ Think of it as a daily blog
post:
○ What did you do today for your project?
○ Did you write your testing procedure?
○ Did you discuss the project with anyone?
○ Did you consider how to gather materials?
○ What issues did you run into today?
○ What did you research? Make sure to add the bibliography information for each
source as you come to it.
○ Give details! Each day’s entry should show the progress on your project.

● In the ​Data​ section, make charts ​before​ you start testing. The data section of your log
book should have all the data and observations from your testing. If you make a
mistake, draw a line through it and re-write it. Do not erase or white out a mistake.
○ Record all ​measurements​, in ink, as you measure them during your testing.
○ Make ​observations​ during your testing. Observations help the scientist explain
the data. For example, in one trial there may be a significant difference in the
measurement from another trial. Through close observation, a scientist may
notice something, such as wind changing direction, during a trial. These careful
observations can help in explaining differences in trials.

3. Complete the ​Project Approval Form

This form lets your teacher know what you’ve chosen for your project. It gives an overview of
your project with enough detail that anyone who reads it can get a pretty good idea of what you
will be doing. Once your teacher approves the project, he/she will give this form back to you. It
will have a list of other forms you will need to complete for your project. ​Make sure you keep
this signed form and all forms you complete--they are required to be with your project.

4. Become an Expert on Your Problem

The research phase of your project is very important. This is where you learn everything you
can about the topic of your project. Spend some time getting background information. Good
research will help you become an expert on your topic. Remember to write down the
bibliographic information about each source you read, consult, or try to contact. Some ideas for
places to go for research are:
● library
● internet--Make sure it is a ​reliable​ source of information (talk to your school media
specialist about this).
● experts in the field
● Write to companies involved in your field.

5. Complete ​Ethics Agreement​ and R ​ isk Analysis and Designated Supervisor Form
By signing the ​Ethics Agreement​, you are saying that you won’t copy someone else’s work.
You can refer to someone else’s work, but you have to cite it in your log and on the
bibliography. Copy-and-pasting images, words, etc., from the internet is considered plagiarism.
If you identify ​where​ you got each part of what you copied (cite the source), you have done
your job.

The ​Risk Analysis and Designated Supervisor Form​ is used to state all the risks in your
project. Risks might include:
● the tools and materials you are using. How can you stay safe when you use them?
● the location you are testing in. Is it close to a road or body of water?
● the science safety tools you will be using.
In this handbook, the ​Risk Assessment and Safety Considerations​ section will help you
complete this form.

Identify Your Variables

In an experiment, scientists call the conditions in their experiment “variables.” It is very
important to identify and control variables.

There are 3 types of variables:

● independent variable​ - This is the one thing you are changing in your experiment.
● dependent variable​ - This is what changes as a result of changing the independent
variable. This is what you will measure to collect data.
● controlled variables​ - This is ​everything​ else in the experiment. These must be kept
exactly the same in all your trials, or else it’s not fair.
In your experiment, what are you changing? For example, if you are doing an experiment
about whether adults or students are better at shooting basketballs, the thing that you are
changing is the age of the test subjects (adults or students). That’s your ​independent
variable.​

How are you going to measure your experiment? In the example above, you’d measure it by
counting how many shots each person made successfully. That’s your ​dependent variable.
The dependent variable is the data you will record for your experiment.

​ his is everything else in your project. Go back

The final variable is the ​controlled variables. T
to the basketball example. Would it be fair to let the adults shoot from right under the basket,
but the students have to shoot from the half-court line? NO! The controlled variables keep the
experiment fair.

6. State the Problem in a Question Form

The Question asks what you are trying to find out or solve by testing. Make sure your question
is a testable question. It should not be a demonstration, survey, or collection. Two common
formats used for writing a question are:

How will ​salt ​affect​ the boiling temperature of liquids?

What are the effects of​ salt ​on​ the boiling temperature of liquids?

Be careful when using the words “​a​ffect” and “​e​ffect” because they are often confused
and misused.
● “​A​ffect” is a verb that means “to influence”. In the example above, the student is asking
if salt will “influence” or affect the boiling of water.
● “​E​ffect” is usually used as a noun that means “a result, or something brought about by a
cause.” In the second example above, the student is asking what the “results” or
“effects” will be when they add salt to boiling liquids.
● “Effective” is an adjective meaning “producing an expected result.” It is also sometimes
misused. A correct example would be, “Which of the tested air filtering systems is most
effective?”

Some other formats that can be used are:

● “​What happens to​ the stability of a boat ​when​ the pontoon design is changed?”
● “​Is there a relationship between​ light color ​and​ the growth of bean plants?”
● “​Which of the tested​ materials provides the best insulation?”

Your variables can help you write your Question. In the examples above, see if you can
identify the independent variable (what the researcher is changing) and the dependent variable
(what the researcher is measuring). Here are a few:
 ● How will ​salt​ ​(independent variable)​ affect the boiling ​temperature​ ​(dependent
variable)​ of liquids?
● Is there a relationship between ​light color​ ​(independent variable)​ and the ​growth
(dependent variable)​ of bean plants?
● What happens to the ​stability of a boat​ ​(dependent variable) w ​ hen the ​pontoon design
(independent variable)​ is changed?

7. Identify Your Control Group and Experimental Group

It is very important to have a ​Control Group.​ This is the group that is treated in the “normal”
way so you can compare them to the ​Experimental Group​. The Experimental Group is the
one that gets the ​independent variable.​ Let’s look at an example:

How will salt affect the boiling temperature of liquids?

Salt is the independent variable, so the ​Experimental Group​ is the group that gets the
salt added to the liquid. The group without the salt is the “normal” group--the ​Control
Group.

If your Question is based on a “What if…” question, you ​do​ have a Control Group--the
situation that made you start wondering. If you were pitching a softball and started
wondering, “What if it was raining and the softball was wet?” Your Control Group would
be testing with dry softballs and your Experimental Group would be testing with wet
softballs.

8. Research
Scientists need to get a full picture of the problem they are addressing before they start testing.
That is where research comes in. You may want to start by researching to find out what other
scientists have found about your topic in the past. Research will help you to fully understand
your topic and help you to come up with a way to design your experiment.

For the Science and Engineering Fair, at least ​3 sources​ are required for the research phase.
These sources must be documented in both the Log Book and on a bibliography. Interviewing
an expert in the field of your project is an acceptable source.

9. State Your Hypothesis

The hypothesis is a prediction of what you think will happen during your experimentation. Use
background information to help you prepare the prediction. Be sure to write your hypothesis
before you start your experiment. Write it as an “If…, then…” statement.
 In the example about the basketball experiment, a hypothesis might be, “​If ​adults
and students shoot 50 free-throws each, ​then​ the students will shoot an average of
5 baskets more than the adults.

A note about the Hypothesis: T ​ he results of the tests you will do later do not have to support
the hypothesis in order for the experiment to be a success. It is important to note that your
hypothesis will NOT be “proved” or “disproved.” Hypotheses are either “supported by the data”
or “not supported by the data.” They aren’t proved; they aren’t right; they aren’t wrong.

10. Design the Experiment and Write a Procedure

The Procedure is the method you will use to test your hypothesis. The Procedure should
explain the steps to be followed in order to find the answer to your question or problem. This is
where you write how you will control all the variables. It is also where you write how you are
going to control the risks you identified in your ​Risk Assessment​.

It is very important that your Procedure is very specific and detailed, like a recipe in a
cookbook. Other scientists should be able to pick up your Procedure, conduct your experiment
and get very similar results. This is called a “replicable experiment.” Replicable means
repeatable. All scientists work very hard to have a replicable experiment--if it’s not replicable,
it’s not considered valid. One way to check if you’ve added enough detail is to have someone
else take your Procedure and try to walk through the experiment (without actually using the
materials). As that person tries to follow your Procedure, watch for steps you forgot to write.

Repeated trials should be part of your procedure. Be sure to follow this very important part of
the scientific method. In order for results to be considered valid, the experiment must be
conducted multiple times and yield consistent results. There should be at least 5-10 trials. The
results will be more valid if you repeat the experiment as many times as possible.

After you’ve written your Procedure, go step by step and pull out the materials you will need to
gather for your project. Be very specific about the amount of each material you will need.

Make sure that both the Procedure and Materials are written in your Log Book.

11. Conduct the Experiment

Follow your Procedure carefully to ensure valid scientific testing. While testing, record all data,
in ink, directly into your Log Book. Be accurate and exact as you observe, measure, describe,
count, and/or photograph. If necessary, make changes in your Procedure and document them
in your Log Book. However, if you do make changes, you have to start your testing again. It
wouldn’t be valid to do half of the tests with one Procedure and the rest of the test with a
different Procedure.
It’s important to also write your observations during your testing. Your observations can help
you make sense out of your data. Did you have one trial that had a different result from the
others? What did you observe during that trial?

12. Analyze the Data (Results)

Look closely at the measurements you recorded in your Log Book. Think about the data and
decide what the results mean. Try to find explanations for your observations. If possible,
examine your results mathematically using percentages, mean, median, range, and mode. Be
sure to know the meanings of these words if you use them. Also, in your results, identify data
that is unusual or unexpected and try to explain it in your conclusion.

Graphs are used to make the data, trends, and patterns easy to understand, but you have to
select the correct kind of graph. If you use a computer program to make your graph, you have
lots of options. However, not every graph is appropriate for every project. The graph you
choose should be easy to understand--just because it looks really interesting doesn’t mean it’s
the best graph. The charts or graph will also go in your Log Book and on your display board.
Make sure you include a key to help others read your graph.

13. Make Conclusions

Conclusions are statements telling what you found out or learned during your investigation.
This is a very important part of your project since you have likely learned a great deal. The
conclusion is based on the results of your experiment. You will explain how the data you
collected either does or does not support your hypothesis. Explain what further testing might
be done to further answer your original question. Tell how people might apply your findings to
everyday life. If you were to repeat this project, what changes would you make?

14. Communicate Your Results/Construct a Display

An important part of the scientific process is to share results with others. It is good to let others
know what you have learned. You should be able to fully explain all parts of your project. The
Sample Interview Questions section of this handbook can help you prepare to share your
project with others.

Below is a sample of a science project display board. Your board does not have to match this
exactly, but it MUST have your problem and tell the story of your project.