1.Create a project journal
Keep detailed and accurate notes throughout your experiment. Record all observations and data, and date each entry. These notes will be valuable when preparing your final report and presenting your project.
Your research paper should include the following sections:
- Cover Page: Project title and your name.
- Table of Contents: List all the headings in your paper.
- Abstract: A one-page summary of your project, including the title, purpose, hypothesis, method, and main outcomes. Submit this when registering.
- Introduction: Explain your research purpose, background, and hypothesis. Include any information that influenced your choice of project.
- Materials and Methods: Describe your procedures and list the materials used. Include enough detail for others to replicate your experiment. Photos or drawings are helpful.
- Results: Present your data with graphs, tables, or charts. You can place large amounts of data in an appendix.
- Discussion: Compare your results with existing data, discuss possible errors, and suggest improvements or future experiments.
- Conclusion: Summarise your findings, state whether your hypothesis was supported, and suggest practical applications or future research.
- Acknowledgements: Briefly mention anyone who helped you with your project.
- References/Bibliography: List all sources you used, including books, articles, and websites, with full publication details.
A few sample references are included below:
Johnson, Peter H., “Wired for Warmth,” (electric soil warmers—plant propagators), Rodale’s Organic Gardening, Jan. 1987, vol. 34, 68
Example for a book:
Math, Irwin. Wires & Watts, New York, Scribner, 1981
Example for an encyclopaedia:
“Gyroscopic Properties,” The World Book Encyclopaedia, 1988, vol. 8, 477
Example for a website:
Planning for College and Academic Planning. The College Board. 7 June 2000, http://www.collegeboard.org/features/parentgd/html/academic.html